Through the Bible in one year - Day 21

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!

May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!

...

May he grant you your heart's desire

and fulfill all your plans!

...

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

(Psalm 20: 1, 4, 7)

Goodness gracious! Abraham is really having trouble getting this through his head. What was he thinking when he tells Abimelech that Sarah is his sister? This is indeed the question Abimelech puts to him. But then we see Abraham uses it to introduce Abimelech to God and Abraham lets Abimelech know that Sarah is indeed his (half) sister. In the end God has used this for good.

What do you think about this reading from Luke? Isn’t it interesting that Jesus says we interpret the weather by the signs we see, but we do not make the effort to interpret the signs of our time, and why do we take our quarrels to the court when we could take care of it ourselves on the way?

Today, our reading ends with a story of a fig tree that hadn’t born any fruit for three years – the owner gets tired of it taking us space in his garden and says cut it down...but the gardener says no wait, I’ll give it extra care this one last year...and we can wait and see if it produces fruit after that. What do these two tales have to do with one another? How shall we interpret the times around us, how shall we resolve our differences in such a way that we bear fruit for the owner and the gardener?

Today’s readings: Psalm 20, Genesis 20, 1 Chronicles 23 & 24, Luke 12:49-13:9

Through the Bible in one year - Day 19

This section in Genesis today is one of the most beautiful, and I love to read about Abraham standing before the Lord and pleading for the righteous. This is a perfect illustration for us about how to intercede for others; it also gives me a sense of awe as I consider Abraham arguing his case with God. Notice the ways he phrases things; far be it from you to do such a thing he says to God. This conversation is one of intimates-of individuals who know and respect each other. Oh that we all would be on such terms with God! We also see a shrewd negotiator in Abraham when he says: "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes...”He asks first if 50 righteous men are found there, and continues to ask all the way; until only 10 righteous are found and for the sake of those 10 the Lord will not destroy the cities – these 10 are the salvation for all the rest. In our lives, I think this is a very good lesson – first that we need to intercede on the behalf of others, and second we need to be part of those righteous few.

In today’s reading from 1 Chronicles we see David interceding on behalf of his people also. In this case, David was at fault to begin with, but he recognizes his error and falls on his face and asks that his people be spared the judgment that is due him – this too is a lesson for us. How much better would things work out if we saw our errors and instead of denying or trying to hide them from God, we fell on our faces and repented? I often wonder what would have happened if Adam and Eve had done this? Would they still have been thrown out – and us along with them, or would they have found mercy instead; would this repentance have opened up a new relationship for them and us?

These passages in Luke today also speak to me about being right with God. Jesus asks the Pharisee why he worries about cleaning the outside of a vessel when the inside (his heart, and mind and actions) are full of greed and wickedness. Jesus paints a picture of those of us who are more interested in how we appear than how we act, and that picture is not a complimentary one, indeed, he says outright that those who are more interested in building themselves up by casting others down will be charged with the blood of those who perish. And we ourselves will not be acknowledged if we fail to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. This is not lip service he is describing – this, like the repentance and intercession we see in the earlier readings is one of our whole selves, and our lives. We have to be ‘real’. Thankfully, it is not all hopeless – the Holy Spirit will teach us. Come Holy Spirit, come now and come with more power.

Today’s readings: Psalm 18, Genesis 18:16-33, 1 Chronicles 21:1-17, Luke 11:37-12:12