Judges 17:1-18:21; John 2:12-25; Psalms 103:13-22; Proverbs 22:15

NT: “The Jewish Passover was near, and so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and he also found the money changers sitting there. After making a whip out of cords, he drove everyone out of the temple with their sheep and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” And his disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house will consume me. So the Jews replied to him, “What sign will you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.” Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made. While he was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. Jesus, however, would not entrust himself to them, since he knew them all and because he did not need anyone to testify about man; for he himself knew what was in man.” (‭‭John‬ ‭2:13-25‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Psalm 69:9, which is a Messianic Psalm, speaks of the Messiah having a zeal for the House of the Lord. The Hebrew word for zeal connotes an intense jealousy – not a sinful jealousy, but a righteous jealousy that is not selfish in nature, but passionate about the well-being, sanctity, and purpose of someone or something. There are two accounts in the Gospels of Jesus being zealous for the Temple and driving out the money changers. This is the first account. The second was after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, just before He was crucified. On this particular Passover week, Jesus entered the temple grounds and saw merchants selling sacrificial animals and money changers converting currency. The merchants and money changers had taken advantage of the people’s desire to worship God, turned it into an industry, and used it as an opportunity to line their pockets. Given human nature, they were probably price-gouging. Not only that, they were set up in the Court of the Gentiles which prevented the Gentiles from being able to worship God. Jesus was livid and drove the merchants and money changers out of the temple. Jesus was zealous for the sanctity of the Temple. It was to be a place of sacrificial worship to God, not a place of greed and opportunism. Jesus was also zealous for the gentiles who sincerely wanted to worship God. Jesus zeal undoubtedly took His disciples by surprise – until they remembered Psalm 69, and then it all made sense and confirmed their hope that Jesus was the Messiah. On the other hand, the Temple leaders were quite put off by Jesus’ intrusion into their worship business and demanded a sign that would legitimize His actions. His response was they same response that He would continue to give the religious leaders every time they asked for a sign: death, burial, and resurrection – that would be the sign that He would give them. Signs are helpful, but if signs are the basis of our faith, then our faith is flighty at best. As Jesus continued His ministry, he performed many signs and wonders, and many people believed in Him simply because of the signs. Though they believed in Jesus, Jesus didn’t put too much stock in their belief. They were only after Jesus for what He could do, not for Who He was.

Psalms: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. For he knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass — he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known. But from eternity to eternity the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear him, and his righteousness toward the grandchildren of those who keep his covenant, who remember to observe his precepts. The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, all his angels of great strength, who do his word, obedient to his command. Bless the Lord, all his armies, his servants who do his will. Bless the Lord, all his works in all the places where he rules. My soul, bless the Lord!” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:13-22‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

A good father deeply loves his children. Similarly, our Father in heaven deeply loves those who revere Him, His word, His will, and His ways. Our lives here on earth are temporal, but God’s faithful love towards those who revere Him lasts for eternity. Faithful love is translated from the Hebrew word “checed” which is a zealous, arduous love, mercy, kindness, and faithfulness toward someone. Just as Jesus was zealous for the House of God, Our Father in Heaven is zealous towards all who revere Him… and to go further, those who place their faith in the Lord Jesus and faithfully follow the Lord’s commands become the “House of the Lord” – so Jesus is zealous for His faithful followers, just as He was zealous for the Temple. What an incredible truth to remember! Bless the Lord, oh my soul!!

Judges 16:10-31; John 2:1-11; Psalms 103:1-12; Proverbs 22:14

NT: “On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.” “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.” “Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants. Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons. “Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did. When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from — though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.” (‭‭John‬ ‭2:1-11‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

John wrote his gospel for a very specific purpose: to show that Jesus was (and is) the Son of God and that we can have life in His name. In order to do that, John chose to highlight 7 miracles that Jesus performed during His life that served as a sign that He was the Son of God. The first miracle or sign is Jesus turning water into wine. The first miracle that God performed through Moses as a sign was turning the waters of the land into blood. That miraculous sign was a plague that brought judgement to Egypt. The first miraculous sign that Jesus the Son of God gave was turning water, not into blood, but into wine. Instead of a curse, it was a blessing… instead of bringing judgement, it brought joy. The sign showed that Jesus was the Son of God, for who could completely altar the molecular state of water and turn it into wine (not just ordinary wine, but fine wine) but God. The sign also showed that instead of bringing judgement, Jesus was bringing abundant joy. Jesus would later say that He did not come to condemn the world, but that the world may have life in His name. If Jesus can turn water into fine wine, then He can take our ordinary lack-luster lives and turn them into something glorious, if we fully follow Him.

Psalms: “My soul, bless the Lord, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all his benefits. He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit; he crowns you with faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle. The Lord executes acts of righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He revealed his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:1-12‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

As a father, one of the things that blesses me is when my kids are truly grateful for the blessings that I give them… instead of feeling entitled to my benevolence, they recognize that I bless them out of my love for them and are truly humbled and thankful. King David explains here, that when we do not take God’s goodness for granted and fully realize that we, though undeserving of His kindness, are blessed because of His love and goodness – that blesses God. When we are thankful for all of God’s blessings, God is blessed. When we remember (do not forget) all that God has done for us and respond in adoration, God is blessed. The word for bless literally means to bow down and adore. If we would stop and fully consider all that God has done for us, and continues to do for us, we will react like David reacted and say, “let all that is within me bow down before the Lord and adore Him… and may God be blessed by my faithfulness and gratitude.” To help us remember what God has done for us, David composed a list as he recounted all the things God had done for him. He forgives, He heals, He redeems, He glorifies, He satisfies, and He renews. Those are all the things he does for us individually as we walk in obedience to His way. David then goes on to list things that God does corporately as His people walk in His ways: He executes righteousness and justice for the oppressed, He shows compassion and gives grace, He is slow to anger and abounding in love, though He may correct us when we are wrong – His anger doesn’t last forever. His faithfulness to His faithful ones extends beyond the reaches of the universe, and for those who honor Him and His ways, He completely removes their sin. When we give our lives to the Lord fully and obey His word, will, and ways completely; He blesses us in such a way that we become miraculous signs. Our lives point to the fact that God Himself is at work in us and that we have life in His name. When we lose sight of that and take God’s blessings for granted, we stop being effective signs to God and end up becoming self-consumed… and the cycle of grace and blessing comes to an end. As long as we have an attitude of gratitude and bless the Lord, His blessings will continue to flow to us and we will continue pointing people to Him.

Judges 15:1-16:9; John 1:43-51; Psalms 102:23-28; Proverbs 22:13

NT: “The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and told him, “Follow me.” …Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets ): Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him. “Come and see,” Philip answered. Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered. “Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!” Jesus responded to him, “Do you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” Then he said, “Truly I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭1:43, 45-51‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said that He came to seek and save the lost. As Jesus began His ministry in Galilee, we see that with Phillip. It says that Jesus found Phillip and called him to follow… then through Phillip, He found Nathanael. Even from the beginning of his relationship with Jesus, Phillip was the consummate evangelist. The first thing he did was find Nathanael and tell him the good news. Even when Nathanael’s response was less than thrilled, that didn’t deter Phillip. “Come and see for yourself,” was Phillip’s reply. Phillip didn’t first go to Bible school, or take a course on effective evangelism. He simply went to find Nathanael. When Nathanael gave him a skeptical response, Phillip didn’t get discouraged and walk away. He simply shared the good news of who he had found, and invited Nathaniel to see for himself. Evangelism isn’t hard, which is something that I need to remind myself of on a regular basis. We just need to share the good news with people and invite them to come and see. The big question is, what will they see when they respond to our invitation? Will they experience Jesus the way that Nathanael experienced Jesus or will they just experience people playing church? When Nathanael met Jesus, he experienced a 1 Corinthians 14 moment: the secrets of his heart were laid bare and he had no choice but to declare that Jesus was the Son of God. The same should and can happen when people “come and see” through us today. The phrase that Jesus spoke to Nathanael must have been incredibly insightful for it to illicit such a strong response. Apparently, Nathanael identified himself as someone who was integrous and authentic… always telling it like it was and not leading people into deception. The Patriarch Jacob (later named Israel) had the reputation of being a manipulator and a deceiver… and learned things the hard way. Nathanael must have prided himself in being the opposite – someone who complied with God’s laws and didn’t mislead anyone. We can even see that in his initial response to Phillip. He wasn’t going to mislead Phillip, so he plainly shared his thoughts around the possibility of the Messiah coming from such a disreputable place as Nazareth. When Jesus knew Nathanael that deeply without ever having met him, Nathanael was convinced. Jesus’ response to Nathanael’s declaration was quite telling. He was referring to Jacob’s dream of a ladder that bridged heaven and earth. Jesus basically told Nathanael that He was the ladder… He was the bridge between heaven and earth… He was God coming to man, and He was the way for man to get to God. By remaining with Jesus, Nathanael would experience the glory of God on earth and would experience people being reconciled to God. When Nathanael responded to Phillip’s invitation to come and see, he saw way more that what he expected. He saw the Son of God, the Hope of Mankind, and the Savior of the World. Again, what will people see in us? Are we bringing God to people and people to God through the Christ who dwells in us?

Judges 14:1-20; John 1:29-42; Psalms 102:18-22; Proverbs 22:10-12

NT: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him. I didn’t know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on — he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭1:29-34‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Lambs carried great significance to the people of Israel. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden and were clothed with the skin of an animal, many believe the animal that was sacrificed was a lamb. A lamb gave its life to cover the sin of mankind. When God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, once Abraham proved his faith, God provided a substitutionary sacrifice through a ram (a mature male lamb). When the angel of death was sent to Egypt, God had the Children of Israel sacrifice lambs and paint the blood of the lamb on their door posts and lintel. The blood of the lamb saved them from death and ultimately set them free from bondage. I don’t know how much John the Baptist fully understood, but when he said that Jesus was the Lamb of God, he was saying a lot. He was saying that Jesus was no ordinary lamb… He was the perfect lamb given by God. He was saying that Jesus would give His life for the sin of mankind. He was saying that Jesus would be our substitutionary sacrifice and would die the death that we should die in our place. He was saying that Jesus’ blood, when applied it to our lives, would save us from eternal death and deliver us from the bondage of sin. John didn’t come up with that revelation on his own. The Lord told him that he would see a sign that would show him who the Lamb of God was. In a powerful moment, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit united as John baptized Jesus – identifying with His mission to die, be buried, and then rise again… and then John knew. Jesus was the Son of God, given to mankind as the Lamb of God.

Judges 13:1-25; John 1:19-28; Psalms 102:1-17; Proverbs 22:8-9

OT: “The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines forty years. There was a certain man from Zorah, from the family of Dan, whose name was Manoah; his wife was unable to conceive and had no children. The angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Although you are unable to conceive and have no children, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now please be careful not to drink wine or beer, or to eat anything unclean; for indeed, you will conceive and give birth to a son. You must never cut his hair, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from birth, and he will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines.” …So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the Lord blessed him. Then the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in the Camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.” (‭‭Judges‬ ‭13:1-5, 24-25‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The book of Judges describes cycles of Israel’s disobedience to the Lord, the Lord handing them over to be judged by a godless nation, and then God providing a deliverer (or judge) after a time of judgement to win Israel back. Once again, as this story begins, we see that Israel had rejected the Lord’s ways and had been given over to Philistine oppression for 40 years. It is interesting that often times in the Bible, when things are hopeless, God sends – not a conquering hero – but a baby… and God promises that baby to the most hopeless of all: a barren woman. God promised a baby to barren Sara, when it seemed that God’s promise of a nation to Abram was going to die before it ever had the chance to begin. Later, God would promise a baby to barren Hannah who became the great judge and prophet Samuel. And even later still, God would promise a baby to barren Elizabeth who would prepare the way for another baby that would grow up to save the world. In this story, the Angel of the Lord (a pre-incarnate Christ) came to a seemingly insignificant barren woman who was part of a remnant of a small tribe of Israel. To this woman, the Lord promised a baby who would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines. Babies are weak, fragile, and incapable of surviving on their own… yet babies carry tremendous potential and hope. Each baby is a gift of God, a chance for a new beginning, and a reminder that life doesn’t end with me.

NT: “This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” “…Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?” He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord — just as Isaiah the prophet said.” …So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him. He is the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭1:19, 22-23, 25-27‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Similar to Manoah and his wife, God promised a baby to Zechariah and his barren wife Elizabeth. That promised son grew up into the man known as John the Baptist… and similar to Sampson, John the Baptist was a Nazirite. A Nazirite was someone who was completely consecrated to the Lord. The mark of their vow of consecration was uncut hair. After John began his ministry of calling the nation of Israel to repentance, the religious leaders sent an entourage to find out who he was and what he was doing. John responded to them out of Isaiah 40. Isaiah 40 begins with a word of comfort and hope… that the time of oppression was coming to an end… that the people should prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord… that the Lord would be coming soon to make everything right, and the whole world would see His glory. John said that he was that voice calling the nation to get ready. He was baptizing people in a baptism of repentance – but he was not the coming hope. He was simply there to prepare the way for someone else who was coming – the Hope of the World.

Psalms: “Lord, hear my prayer; let my cry for help come before you. Do not hide your face from me in my day of trouble. Listen closely to me; answer me quickly when I call. For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. My heart is suffering, withered like grass; I even forget to eat my food… My enemies taunt me all day long; they ridicule and use my name as a curse. I eat ashes like bread and mingle my drinks with tears… My days are like a lengthening shadow, and I wither away like grass. But you, Lord, are enthroned forever; your fame endures to all generations. You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her — the appointed time has come… Then the nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory, for the Lord will rebuild Zion; he will appear in his glory. He will pay attention to the prayer of the destitute and will not despise their prayer.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭102:1-4, 8-9, 11-13, 15-17‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This psalm was written during a very low point in Israel’s history. The situation, as the psalmist looked around, appeared hopeless – and it was bringing personal pain and anguish. Yet, instead of dwelling on the hopelessness around him, the psalmist fixed his eyes on the hope that he had in the Lord. “But You, Lord, are enthroned forever…” No matter how out-of-control things get here on earth as its inhabitants forsake God and try to manage on their own, with the Lord, everything is in order and under His control. That is how we, as faithful disciples of the Lord, can be at peace when everything around us is being destroyed: we serve an unshakable King and we are citizens of His unshakable Kingdom… and beyond that, we can look with hope to the day when the Lord’s appointed time comes – when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and His Christ, and He rules forever and ever. Though the world is full of hopelessness, in the Lord there is always hope.

Judges 11:29-12:15; John 1:1-18; Psalms 101:4-8; Proverbs 22:7

NT: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it… He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side — he has revealed him.” (‭‭John‬ ‭1:1-5, 10-14, 16-18‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The Apostle John himself gave the reason for writing his gospel account in John 20:31, “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” Unlike the other gospels that begin with the life of Jesus, John’s gospel begins at the beginning of life itself. Genesis begins with, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… Then God said, Let there be light,” and there was light. John takes us back to that very same scene and explains that the Word that was present with God… the Word that was spoken to create light and life, was the Son of God. God the Father willed to create, and the Word that expressed that will was (and is) God the Son. All things were created by God’s Word… they were spoken into existence – and nothing of life and light has been created apart from the Word. In fact, the Word IS life and the Word IS light… and anyone who receives the Word of God, receives life and light. The Word – God the Son – became flesh and was born into humanity as Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. Jesus, being the Word – the very expression of God the Father, fully revealed the Father to humanity. No one has ever seen God, but according to Jesus, if we have seen Him, we have seen the Father. To know Jesus is to know God… and to receive Jesus fully is to receive the fullness of life and light, grace and truth.

Judges 11:1-28; Luke 24:35-53; Psalms 101:1-3; Proverbs 22:5-6

NT: “He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. And while he was blessing them, he left them and was carried up into heaven. After worshiping him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple praising God.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:44-53‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

After Jesus appeared to His two followers on the road to Emmaus, He also appeared to His disciples who were hiding out in Jerusalem. Just as He did with the two on the road, He walked His disciples through the scriptures and explained to them how all that God had promised had been fulfilled in Him. He then gave them some assignments: 1) Repentance that leads to forgiveness of sins through His name must be preached to all the nations. The word for ‘nations’ is the Greek word ‘ethnos.’ It doesn’t mean political nation-states. It means each and every ethnicity and people group. 2) The disciples were to be witnesses to the veracity of the Gospel message. Just as witnesses are brought into a court to testify the truth, the disciples were to testify the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth of the Gospel of the Kingdom. 3) They were to wait in Jerusalem until they were empowered from on high. The Father had promised in the book of Joel that He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. Jesus was going away so that He could send that promise to His disciples. They were charged to go into all the world, but before they went, they needed to be empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. That is just as much a part of the Gospel as salvation is. The full message of the gospel is that we are 1) saved from our sins as we repent and place our faith in Jesus, 2) born again into new life, and 3) empowered by the flow of God’s life and grace through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The last words of Jesus before He left this earth were the most important things on His mind… and should be the most important things on our minds as His disciples. The Gospel of Luke continues on into the book of Acts, and if you look into the book of Acts, you will see that the Lord’s last words were the disciples first works… and just as the Lord spoke those words to His disciples then, His words transcend time and speak to us as well. Those 3 things that He mentioned to His disciples are the 3 things that should guide and inform the way we life our lives as we follow Jesus: preach the gospel, be witnesses of the truth, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Psalms: “I will sing of faithful love and justice; I will sing praise to you, Lord. I will pay attention to the way of integrity. When will you come to me? I will live with a heart of integrity in my house. I will not let anything worthless guide me. I hate the practice of transgression; it will not cling to me.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭101:1-3‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Of utmost importance to King David were the word, will, and ways of the Lord God. He made the words of God his first works. The primary pursuit of his life was to walk the way of integrity as described through the word – and he would not allow his life to be led by anything other than the Lord God. Did he make mistakes and fall short from time to time? Yes, he did – but he was always quick to repent and “get back on the horse.” Because the Lord was faithful to him, David spent his life testifying to the goodness of God through songs of praise and thanksgiving.

Proverbs: “There are thorns and snares on the way of the crooked; the one who guards himself stays far from them. Start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭22:5-6‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Although the way of the crooked is often widely traveled path, it is strewn with snares and thorns that will injure you and trap you. The way of righteousness requires much more intentionality and care, but it is free of pitfalls. It takes effort to walk in the way of the Lord… and you aren’t free to go anywhere you desire, but it is the way that leads to life. How much better it is, then, to teach our offspring to follow the words of the Lord and the way to life, than to leave them on their own to figure out their own way.

Judges 10:1-18; Luke 24:13-34; Psalms 100:3-5; Proverbs 22:2-4

NT: “Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they were prevented from recognizing him. Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged. The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked them. So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him…” He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures… It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:13-20, 25-27, 30-32‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Two of Jesus’ followers (not part of the core 11 disciples) left Jerusalem and headed toward Emmaus, discouraged and disheartened over the events that occurred over Passover weekend. They had put all their hopes in Jesus of Nazareth, and as far as they understood, Jesus was now dead. They believed Jesus to be the Messiah that would redeem Israel, but Jesus did not do what they expected. As they tried to reconcile all that had happened, the resurrected Jesus joined them and walked with them along the way, listening to their discussion. It stands to reason that they were probably bringing up Messianic prophecies from the scriptures as they tried to figure out what had gone wrong. Finally, Jesus spoke up and explained that they were mistaken. All had not gone wrong… all had gone right according to God’s master plan. So from the beginning, Jesus walked them through the whole of scripture and explained how all of scripture had been fulfilled. The 2 disciples couldn’t see the truth for they were fixated on their expectations. But Jesus patiently walked them through the scriptures and adjusted their perspective. As the word was opened up to them, their hearts were opened to receive and understand the truth of the word… and once their hearts were opened to believe, Jesus opened their eyes to clearly see Him. It is easy for our desires to blind us to what God is doing… and then cause us to become discouraged and lose heart when our desires and expectations don’t come to pass. It is in those times that we need the Holy Spirit to open God’s word to us so that we can understand God’s ways, clearly see the truth, and recognize what the Lord is doing.

Psalms: “Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his — his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:3-5‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The word translated here as ‘acknowledge’ is the Hebrew word ’yada.’ It means to know by experience, to recognize, to confess. I would say that is the first step in worshipping the Lord: we first have to recognize Who He is. Just as the disciples along the road to Emmaus had their hearts and eyes opened to recognize Jesus, we must allow the scriptures to open our hearts and spiritual eyes to Who God is… that He is the Great Creator that lovingly and purposefully created us in His own image… and by faith, we become His. It is then, that we are able to approach Him and abide in His presence through thanksgiving, praise, and worship. It is then that we discover and experience first-hand His goodness, His faithfulness, and His mercy and enduring covenantal love. The word of God promises us that if we seek Him, we will find Him, if we seek Him with all our hearts. Seek the Lord and allow Him, through His Holy Spirit to open the Word of God to you, so that you may recognize God fully. Then you will be able to life your life with Him as you live your life in worship to Him.

Judges 9:22-57; Luke 24:1-12; Psalms 100:1-2; Proverbs 22:1

NT: “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. “He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” And they remembered his words.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:1-8‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Not only did Jesus die in our place to pay the penalty for sin that we could not pay, He also overcame the power of death and rose from the grave with new life. Many peoples faith, if they have faith in Jesus Christ, ends with the crucifixion. They believe that Jesus died for their sins and saved them, and that’s it. So they say a prayer at some point in their life to receive salvation, but then continue living the same life that they  were living – only now they are “saved” and have a “fire insurance policy.” While, what Jesus accomplished on the cross is great… and it is good news – He did so much more! Because Jesus overcame the power of death and rose to new life, it means that we can live a new life as well. Placing faith fully on what Jesus accomplished is far more than an assurance of salvation, it is a guarantee that we don’t have to keep living the same sinful life and keep following the same sin patterns until we die. We can be born again into new life, just as Jesus rose from the dead to new life. That is actually what baptism symbolizes – that we, through faith in Christ, have died (with Christ) to our sinful selves and have been risen (in Christ) to new life in Him. A big part of being a disciple of Jesus (not just a Christian that believes in Jesus) is learning to walk in the new life that He has won for us.

Psalms: “Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:1-2‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The psalmist calls the whole earth – all the inhabitants of the earth – to shout joyful shouts of victory to the Lord. If the psalmist thought it proper to do that at the psalm’s writing – how much more so is it appropriate today. Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords has won a victory for all humanity. He defeated the hold of sin and He overcame the power of death and has made that victory available to us all. As Paul explained in Romans 12, the only reasonable response to what the Lord has done is to present our lives to Him and serve Him – which is worship. And because the Lord is good, loving, and ever gracious to those who serve Him, we don’t have to serve begrudgingly – but can serve joyfully in the new life that He has won for us.

Judges 8:33-9:21; Luke 23:44-56; Psalms 99:5-9; Proverbs 21:30-31

NT: “It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three, because the sun’s light failed. The curtain of the sanctuary was split down the middle. And Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” Saying this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what happened, he began to glorify God, saying, “This man really was righteous!”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭23:44-47‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Before the first Passover, the 9th plague that ravaged Egypt was 3 days of darkness. On the day that Jesus gave His life to free us from sin, there were 3 hours of darkness. When all had been accomplished… when all of mankind’s sin was placed on Jesus the Lamb of God, He willingly gave up His spirit and breathed His last. At that moment, as we read in Matthew’s account, there was a great earthquake, and the great curtain in the sanctuary that separated man from the Holy of Holies was ripped in two from top to bottom. By giving up His life as a payment for our sin, Jesus defeated the power of sin and opened a new a living way for us to God the Father. No longer would we have to bring animal sacrifices to the altar, for Jesus became the once-and-for-all sacrifice. Now, as Paul described in Romans 12, we present our bodies as living sacrifices. By surrendering our lives to God through Jesus, we are able to boldly come into the presence of God the Father to receive all that we need. Interestingly, though the religious leaders of the day were blind to who Jesus was and what He had done, it became blatantly obvious to a pagan Roman centurion as God fulfilled His redemption plan. Sometimes we can be so caught up in our own religious categories and qualifications that we miss the miraculous work of God that happens right in front of our faces.

Proverbs: “No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel will prevail against the Lord. A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the Lord.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21:30-31‬ ‭CSB‬‬) I love this scripture passage in Colossians: “He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:14-15‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The rulers and authorities, both in the physical realm and in the spiritual realm, tried everything they had to silence Jesus and make His life inconsequential. In the end, all of their wisdom, understanding, and counsel could not prevail against the Lord – who actually used their evil plans against them. Nothing can stop the Kingdom of God. If we are engaged in Kingdom battles, we can be confident, for Kingdom battles belong to the Lord – the King of the Kingdom. Do we have to suit up and prepare for war? Yes, we do. Do we have to engage in the battle? Yes, we do. But victory comes from the Lord.