Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
Joshua 1:8 NLT
Father, You are good. You are good to encourage us with Your Word – good to guide us by It – to equip us and empower us with It. Blessed are we when we meditate in It day and night – that we may observe to do all that is written in It. For then will our way be made prosperous and we will, by It, have good success. – Yes Father God – You are good! 💜
Fear seized them all, and they began to glorify God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us!” and “God has come to help his people!”
Luke 7:16
There were two miracles in today’s passage. The first emphasizes the faith of a Centurion, the second the compassion of Jesus for a widow whose only son had died. While our focus verse is on the second miracle I can’t help but pause a minute to shine light on the first one as well. It excites and amazes me every time I read it. First of all that Jesus said of the Centurion, who was not a Jew (from the people of God) but a gentile, “… not even in Israel have I found such faith!” Second of all, that without even going to the home of the Centurion or being near his servant, Jesus healed him, not because of what a good man the people told Jesus the servant was – but because of the Centurion’s great faith.
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!”
Luke 7:9
The focus verse is equally exciting and amazing, as we see Jesus raise a dead man to life. not because of any words of faith but from what appears to be Jesus’ compassion for a widowed mother whose only son had died. Unlike the other miracles we have seen, this isn’t about a someone seeking out Jesus and asking Him to heal or help. Instead , this one paints a picture of God’s sovereignty and perfect timing, as Jesus enters a town right when people are carrying the dead man out of town for the burial. Jesus stops the procession, tells the mother’s son to “get up! So the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” A man raised to life out of compassion, a miracle witnessed both by the crowd with Jesus and by the crowd accompanying the mother in the funeral procession. That’s pretty exciting stuff, right? Yet, it is what happens next that must not be missed. I mean it isn’t uncommon for fear to be aroused by this miracle – considering no one had ever seen someone raised from death to life – but this “fear” seems to provoke an awe at what Jesus had done, which led to the people “glorifying God,” as they realized Jesus must be “a” (inferring one of many) “great prophet,” not The Messiah, God had promised – but admittedly, “one” whom, “God had come to help.”
A Response to God’s Word
Father, may we let the acts You do – big or small, significant or seemingly insignificant – move us to glorify You. May we stop and stand in awe of You. May we also, like Jesus, stop and show compassion for those who are hurting or struggling around us – and this that – You, like in the story we read today, might be glorified for who You are!
How long, Lord, must I cry for help? But you do not listen! I call out to you, “Violence!” But you do not deliver! 3 Why do you force me to witness injustice? Why do you put up with wrongdoing? Destruction and violence confront me; conflict is present and one must endure strife. 4 For this reason the law lacks power, and justice is never carried out. Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent. For this reason justice is perverted.
Habakkuk 1:2-4
Observations: In the Absence of Law Justice is Perverted
Because God’s law was no longer being honored, Habakkuk, the prophet, cried out to God . Then, feeling as though he wasn’t being heard – he continued to call out, but still, no deliverance was seen. He was overwhelmed by the injustice God had him witness, and he didn’t understand why God was putting up with all the wrongdoing. He was confronted by destruction and violence and constantly had to endure conflict and strife.
Because of these things, he concluded that the law had become powerless (insomuch that it wasn’t being carried out). In its absence, the wicked were intimidating the innocent, and justice was being perverted.
Application: How can I apply this?
I am reminded that God’s Word is given for our instruction, for rebuke and correction, and to train us in righteousness – so that those who are dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work. Thus, I am convicted by Habakkuk’s lament that, like Habakkuk, I should cry out to God with this prayer on behalf of our world today.
Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NET
Prayer: Response to God’s Word
Father, we live in a world that, for the most part, does not honor You. Much like Habakkuk’s lament expresses – our world is filled with violence and it often seems like there is little to no deliverance. Thus, we are forced to witness a myriad of of injustices and atrocities. We wonder why You put up with wrong doing, we are confronted with destruction and violence when we watch or read any world news publication. Conflict is definitely present and we constantly have to endure strife. We watch as the law seems powerless and justice is perverted – so much, that the wicked intimidate the innocent – and we often cry out as Habakkuk – how long and why? And, I find myself pressed to say, even so Lord Jesus come!
Your Turn: Reflections
What are some of the questions you want to ask God today? Remember He cares for you, so spend time honestly sharing your heart with Him.
Father, Your Word makes it clear that all have sinned and fall short of Your glory, and having done so our payment should be death; but in this first week of advent You have reminded us that You are a loving, good, and gracious God, who has given all who believe in Your Son – life instead of death! And with that promise comes the hope of eternity with You in Your Kingdom – the New Jerusalem – yet to come! As we wait for our Redeemer’s return, may Your Spirit teach us and keep us faithful to pray for peace, prosperity, and security for Your people, both here and around the world – Thank You for the Love God Greatly ministry that not only enhances our relationship with You, but for the focus they place on reaching and transforming women with Your Word in every nation and tribe! You know me Father, You know my passion for all things Christmas – but the trees and lights and shopping, the hurry and busyness to get things done clamor for our attention daily. Help me/us to make sure to not allow – what can be the joys of the season – to distract me/us from the first advent – the coming of the Christ child – the reason for the season.
Thank You for the encouragement of Advent to focus and refocus our hearts on Your promises God. The promise we read of in week one, of peace and of no more tears or sorrow or pain and suffering, was one we can never hear enough. However, to those who are currently in challenging seasons of their lives, it was a particularly wonderful reminder and source of encouragement.
Jesus, help us to live today and every day, preparing for Your return. Help us to know what boundaries to set in order to be guarded from trading the peace You came to bring for the busyness of the season and the demands of every day life.
Holy Spirit – Prepare our hearts as we begin the second week of Advent. As Jesus did with His disciples, open our minds to understand The Word that we will read, and help us to grow by it, to live it out, and to share it for the glory of Your Holy and powerful Name! – Amen, so let it be!
In today’s reading Matthew shares insight and wisdom from the life of Christ that will help us overcome the temptations we will inevitably face. Christ had just been baptized and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where He was to be tested. Bibleref.com explains, that “it was God’s intention that Jesus should endure this time of testing.” [For a full explanation of 4:1 visit https://www.bibleref.com/Matthew/4/Matthew-4-1.html. ] However, the focus of today’s passage for me became verse 4, which follows Satan’s pointed temptation to Jesus, who had been fasting, to turn stones into loaves of bread (4:3). While Jesus, no doubt, could have easily met this temptation He instead answers Satan, directly, with a firm “No!” He then uses Scripture to confirm His choice.
3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:3-4 (NLT)
Actually, every other time I have ever read or heard this Scripture taught my mind has been drawn to the use of God’s Word to combat the temptations, and rightfully so. We should always be ready with Scripture when we meet temptations – after all God’s Word is our primary weapon against sin which is why David answered his own question in Psalm 119, “How can a young man keep His way pure?” with these words, “By obeying God’s Word.” He goes on to explain how he does that, “I seek You (God) with all of my heart, do not let me stray from your commandments. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Temptation is clearly combatted with God’s Word. However, it is equally clear to me today that it is good and right to be direct and firm with the ‘tempter’ and say “no”! What a great example of handling our temptations, “But Jesus told him, ‘No!'”.
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping your word.
10 I have sought you with all my heart;
don’t let me wander from your commands.
11 I have treasured your word in my heart
so that I may not sin against you.
Psalm 119:9-11 (CSB)
Jesus’ example makes me think of the campaign, “Just Say No!”, used in the “War on Drugs during the 80’s and 90’s to discourage children from using illegal drugs. Perhaps, as children of God, we should make this our campaign against temptations this year – “Say No to Satan!”. We are only 10 days in to the new year, yet it is already clear to me that there will be, as with every other year, daily temptations. Perhaps we will be tempted to mimic the behavior of the world (Romans 12:2), or to fear (Isaiah 41:10), or complain (Phil 2:14-16), or become angry (Eph 4:26, James 1:20) and unforgiving (Col 3:13), or to use our words to tear down instead of build up (Eph 4:29), the list of temptations are endless (the combatting Scriptures are equally endless) … but regardless of how or when the temptation comes may our answer be, like Jesus’, a firm and resolved NO! Let’s “Say NO to Satan!” and watch him flee in 2022.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Me From the Inside Out 