Daily Devotionals

Psalm 15 & Matthew 5:17-48

As a child in the 1950’s to help me go to sleep at night I would close my eyes and imagine being Bobby Charlton in the winter and Freddie Trueman in the summer.  How I would have loved to score from long distance like Charlton or bowl the perfect away swinger like Trueman.  Who our heroes are says a lot about who we aspire to be.

The troubled David longs to be close to God, ‘O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?’ ^Ps15.1   David knew the law, he understood God’s righteousness and the personal implications for his life. He frequently interpreted a righteous life in terms of things he should not do: not slander, ^v3 not do evil to a neighbour, ^v3 not take offence from a fellow believer, ^v3,4 not take interest from personal loans, ^v5 not take bribes.  David did also grasp righteousness is positive and involves speaking truth,^v2 respecting those who fear God,^v4 and keeping promises even when it costs.^v4

But Jesus ramped up the expectation in the sermon on the mount, six times repeated the phrase, ‘But I say to you’ ^* when repeating an Old Testament law.  This placed expectation beyond what most would consider humanly possible e.g. ‘Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’ ^Mat5.28

How then can anybody live a righteous life pleasing to God that displays the resurrection life of Christ in our lives?  Two New Testament prayers point the way.  Firstly, through the active word of God in our lives.  Jesus prayed at Gethsemane, ‘Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.’ ^John17.17

Secondly through dependence upon God for the resurrection life of Christ within our lives, as the Hebrews author prayed, ‘Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.’  ^{Heb 13.21,22}

On reflection then, who would we pick as our hero?  Jesus Christ my living hope.

Psalm 14 and Romans 3

Every day at the Covid 19 briefing the government is questioned about tests.  When will we have enough tests?  Who should have tests?  What sort of tests should be available?  Who is responsible?  Who can do tests?  Why is this? It is because we all need to know the reality of our situation and when we do know then we can face the consequences.  The first step in solving a problem is always to understand the problem.

In Psalm 14 God sets out the test for humanity.  ‘The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.’ ^v2  The diagnosis is devastating, ‘They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; here is none who does good, not even one. ^v3   Paul quotes Psalm 14 as he explains God’s law simply shows, ^‘everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard*’ ^{Romans 3.21} At the point when we are told we have a terminal disease we ask the question what can be done?  When we stand before God and realize that we deserve his judgement we ask the same question.  God’s answer is, accept a gift.  The gift is, Jesus has taken the wrath of God that we deserve.  Paul explains it like this, ‘the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.’ ^Rom3.25  Propitiation means, wrath bearing sacrifice.  Jesus on Good Friday took God’s deserved wrath against humanity, to be received by faith alone.

David cried, ‘Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!  When the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!’ ^v7  God replies, it has, through Jesus’ death on Good Friday.  Now is the time to give thanks.

^{*New Living Translation}

Hebrews 4.15

Despair or a sense of distance from God can grip any one of us.  Sometimes it is because we have begged God repeatedly and nothing has changed.  At other times we believed we were following God’s will but it has become too difficult.  We want either our circumstances to change or God to change his mind.

It is not hard then to empathise with David in Psalm 13 as he repeatedly asks, ‘How long, Lord?’ ^v1,2 David asks questions we understand: ‘Will you forget me forever?’ ‘Must I wrestle with my thoughts?’ ‘Will my enemy triumph over me?’

 Jesus on the Thursday evening went to Gethsemane with his disciples and prayed a similar prayer. One record of this is Mathew 26. 36-46.  There Jesus wrestled with his thoughts in prayer and as he did so he asked his closest friends to pray with him. ^Matt26.37  If Jesus felt the desire for companionship in prayer how much more should we be prepared to wrestle in prayer with others.  It is something very many, even longstanding Christians, shy away from but it is a vital ministry.  How good it would be if our church was an easy place to find supportive prayer partnership.

David ^v2 and Jesus ^26.37 experienced deep sorrow in prayer.  Both were in a battle with an enemy, Psalm 13.2 and Matt 26.45.  Both were facing death, Psalm 13.3 and Matt 26.39.  Both had enemies who would rejoice at their death. Psalm 13.4 and Matt 27.20.

However, they also both shared a willingness to be obedient to God’s will and to trust in his unfailing love despite the depths of their emotions.  David said, ‘I trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation.’ ^v7  Jesus said, ‘My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ ^{Matt 26.42}  Whatever we face this Easter, Jesus has gone before us and so our hearts can rejoice in his salvation and we can, ‘sing the Lord’s praise.’ ^v6

 I had not heard this Gethsemane hymn before but it beautifully captures the spirit of Maundy Thursday.

Psalm 12

Those of us who have experienced legal disputes will have stories to tell of the ease with which many rephrase events to their own advantage.  We have all witnessed denials and evasiveness in national life only for lies to be exposed later.  Sadly, even in church life brothers and sisters have at times turned on one another bringing disrepute to the name of Jesus.

Reading David’s Psalm 12 in the light of Easter week brings into sharp focus the duplicity of sinful human kind and also the mission of Jesus to bring reconciliation between God and man and hope to the poor and needy. David’s despairing words, ‘Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore, those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.  Everyone lies to their neighbour; they flatter with their lips but harbour deception in their hearts.’ ^vv1-2 are played out dramatically.  Repeated traps are laid through the week attempting to catch him in something he says,^Luke20.20 the Chief Priests and the whole council persuade witnesses to lie,^Matt26.59 and Herod and Pilate become close friends through the unjust conviction of Jesus.^Luke23.11

But there is hope.  God keeps his promise in verse 5, ‘Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will arise.’  Jesus in his response to the council at his trial said, ‘But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.’^Luke22.69 He then through his death, resurrection and ascension conquered sin and death. As Paul recorded, ‘But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.’^{1Corinthian15.57}

So this Easter week it is helpful to hold fast to the words of Jesus.  In the words of Psalm 12, verse 6, ‘The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.’  Through Jesus we have words that do not flatter or deceive.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path – Amy Grant (skip the adverts)

Psalm 11 & 1 Peter 4.7-11

At the beginning of the use of video cameras an American football team transformed itself from a mediocre performer to a top flight team in one season.  When the captain of the team was interviewed, he said after every match the coach made them watch a video recording of the match and examined in detail the performance of every team member.  Analysis like this and much more is now common place but if coaches had read Psalm 11 they might have caught on to this approach earlier.  ‘The Lord is in his holy temple …. His eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.’ ^vv4,5a 

David refused to run and took his stand trusting in the Lord. ^v1  His stand takes the form of behaving righteously.  David links the holiness of God in heaven^v4 with righteous deeds on earth. ‘For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.’ ^v7

Does this support the notion that going to heaven depends on how good a life we lead?  No, it does not.  Biblical teaching is that when God looks at a person who has faith in Christ he sees Christ’s righteousness not their own.  This is termed imputed righteousness. ‘This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.’ ^{Romans 3.22}  The righteousness here is the outworking of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

Peter sees the outworking of righteousness as being alert, sober minded to promote prayer, deeply loving, hospitable and applying one’s gifts to the benefit of others. ^{1Pet 4.7-10} ‘So that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.’ ^1Peter 4.11  The challenge for us is how to do it when in lock down.  To summarise Peter, teachers should teach and servers should serve. ^v11