Through the Bible in one year - Day 35

•           Psalms 34:22

The Lord redeems the life of his servants;

none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

This Psalm ends where yesterday’s reading from Luke did – with those who take refuge in Him not being lost or forgotten. We saw the ‘repentant thief’ given the promise of eternal life while Jesus is dying on the cross. One thief ‘disrespects’ the Lord, and disregards the promise – and loses out, yet the repentant one, the one who asks – ‘don’t you fear God?’, this one gets a promise from Jesus. This kind of question – do you fear God is one where we can choose to answer in such a way that we turn back – turn from those things and ways that can mean death to us without the Lord’s redemption.

•           Genesis 31

I don’t have a good feeling about Rachel’s having stolen those household gods of her father – but we don’t see the outcome of this yet, so we will have to wait until tomorrow or the next day to see what comes of this.

•           2 Chronicles 8

I’m not certain what will be coming next for Solomon either. He has finished his task of building the temple – what do you suppose he will be doing next? All this time, he has been focused on the Lord and the call/promise he made to his father David, so now I wonder what he will be about without that job taking all his best efforts. I’ll wait and see.

•           Luke 24:5-8

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words...

When I read that, what comes to mind is – this is THAT day. This is that third day Jesus was telling you about. I don’t think they didn’t believe exactly, they just had no idea what he meant. They were really in denial about the dead part - until it happened and when that unthinkable thing happened they weren’t thinking at all, and certainly not about what he said about coming back. I mean, I know I’ve never known anyone to come back after being dead. Dead, is dead. (Dead, dead, I said.) No wonder “these words, to them seemed and idle tale.” (Verse 11) In other words; this was nothing more than wishful thinking.

The rest of this chapter – which is the final chapter of the book of Luke is full of much and leads us directly into the Book of Acts. We hear the apostles are told to wait in Jerusalem until they are clothed with power from on high. (Verse 49)

But in case you read too quickly, or miss it, I just want you to notice that this Jesus, is not a figment, and is not wishful thinking – he is hungry he wants to eat fish with them – to break bread with them, and to open the Scriptures to them. These are the same things he wishes to do with us. (Although I haven’t actually given him some fish...)

Let’s not be like these: And [Jesus] said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! (verse 25)

Let us not be slow of heart.

Today’s readings: Psalm 34, Genesis 31, 2 Chronicles 8, Luke 24