bible

Reflection on 1 Samuel 16:1-13

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samuel_anoints_david

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+16.1-13

Scripture

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily on David from that day forward.

Observation

The Lord tells David to go to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as king. He tells him to take a heifer and tell people he has come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. He is to invite Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice, and the Lord will show him which one to anoint.

So one by one Jesse’s sons are brought to Samuel. For each one the Lord tells Samuel, “This is not the one.” Finally, Samuel asks Jesse if there is another son. It turns out that there is another son, the youngest, David is out minding the sheep. When he is brought in, Jesse anoints him with oil, and the Lord fills him with His Spirit.

Application

Anointed for the task, the Spirit of God comes mightily on David.

A human act of anointing with oil signifies the divine act of filling. David is filled with the Holy Spirit for a purpose- to be king of Israel.

Yet David must wait several years and fight for the crown. There is anointing and then there is equipping and training.

We all need to be anointed or filled with the Holy Spirit in order to fulfil the task God has appointed for us. But often the anointing leads to training which doesn’t necessarily make any sense to us.

The Lord removes His blessing from Saul, yet Saul remains as king. He gives the blessing to David, but he must wait and learn to be the Lord’s king.

There are people who receive an anointing or a calling to ministry and then immediately assume they can start the ministry straight away without further training.

There are others who train for ministry but never had any calling or gifting, trusting in their own strength alone.

Either way can be a disaster. We need the anointing and we need the equipping.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for your Spirit so freely and abundantly given to all who follow Jesus. Help me to see what you have called me to, and to seek out your training for that task. Amen.

Reflection on John 4:1-42

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woman-well

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4.1-52

Scripture

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”

Observation

Jesus passes through the Samaritan city of Sychar where He stops at a well. A woman comes to draw water, and He asks her for a drink.

Jesus says to the woman that while the well water will satisfy for a little while, He has living water which satisfies permanently and becomes like a spring which flows out to others. He then tells her to go get her husband, but she replies she doesn’t have one. Jesus agrees that the man she has now is no husband, and she has had five husbands previously. She goes into the town to tell people about Jesus.

Many of the people from the city then believe because of the woman’s testimony, and many more come out to see Jesus for themselves.

Application

When we come to Jesus, He gives us living water that satisfies. Jesus takes this common activity of collecting water to drink and turns it into something profoundly spiritual. This is similar to the way that bread and wine carry power when we celebrate Communion.

The water of life satisfies spiritual thirst. David wrote in Psalm 42, “As the deer longs for the water so my soul thirsts for you.” Those who do not know Jesus are desperate for the freedom, intimacy, and love that He offers. They fill that need with all kinds of things that satisfy briefly.

Only Jesus meets that thirst, that desperate longing for God.

The living water wells up within us like a spring, flowing out to others and helping them to come themselves to the living water.

The Samaritan woman rushes off to tell her friends about the Messiah, who is Jewish and saves Samaritans. When we are touched by the Lord, we want to share that experience with others.

It’s not just about personal evangelism. The living water transforms our friends and neighbours as we learn to be life givers everywhere we go. The water brings life to everyone it touches.

Prayer

Jesus you are the water of life. Saturate the parched places in my soul and make me a spring of living water to bless others. Amen.

Reflection on Romans 5:1-11

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romans-5-6

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5.1-11

Scripture

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Observation

We are justified by faith and so we have peace with God through Christ. Even though we suffer we can rejoice because suffering leads to endurance, character and hope. God’s love has been POURED out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

At the right time, while we were still weak, Christ died for us, the ungodly ones. God’s love is so big that while we were still in our sins Christ died for us.

Application

While we were still weak Christ died to pay for our sins. We were God’s enemies, estranged and living in rebellion. But the Father sent His Son to die for us.

A soldier will lay down his life for his country. A parent will die to save their child. People will risk their lives to save a friend, sometimes even a stranger.

But Jesus died on the cross to reconcile us while we were still at war with Him.

There was no ceasefire or disarmament negotiations. This is a unilateral declaration of love.

We have been fighting our Father, warring against Him. In the middle of the war, He says “Enough!” and then the Son dies.

This is unheard of, unprecedented love. It is as if we were loaded up with an explosive vest to bomb heaven, and He unstraps the vest, pushes us away and takes the full force Himself.

This is our God who loves us so much.

There will be a time for judgement for those who continue to fight after the peace has been declared. But for now it is grace and mercy for all who receive Christ.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the cross. Thank you for loving me even before I knew you. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 17:1-7

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exodus17

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+17.1-7

Scripture

“I will be standing there, in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink.”

Observation

The congregation of the Israelites journey through the wilderness as the Lord commands. They camp at Rephidim, but there is no water, and the people complain to Moses.

Moses goes to the Lord and asks Jim what he should do. The Lord tells him to strike the rock with his staff. So Moses does this, and the Lord provides water for the Israelites.

Application

The Lord is always with us. There is no place we can go where He is not already there.

When we are in dry places, dangerous places, anxious places or closed-in places, God is always with us.

If I am walking in the path set by the Lord, I can be sure that He is walking with me and He will give me the resources that I need to complete my assignment.

It is easy to have faith when I am by myself. It is much harder when I have to risk looking foolish in front of others. Moses seems to have often been in that place of having to trust God in front of the whole nation. What if he had got it wrong and God had not shown up?

Faith is risky. It is scary to let go of control and trust that I am hearing God correctly. What if I get it wrong and look stupid? What if I get it wrong and spoil someone else’s faith?

The Lord is big enough to handle the “What if’s” We just need to put out our hand to strike the rock, trusting that God is able to use us.

Prayer

Lord, please forgive my lack of faith and the fear that stops me from trusting you. Help me to reach out and believe that you are able. Amen.

Reflection on John 3:1-17

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true

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3.1-7

Scripture
“The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Observation
A Pharisee, a leader of the Jewish nation, comes to Jesus by night. He recognises that Jesus has the power of the presence of God. Jesus tells him that nobody can see God’s kingdom unless thy are born from above.

Nicodemus takes this as a literal, or physical, saying, but Jesus tells him that he needs to be born of the Spirit, not just in the flesh. Jesus says that He testifies about heavenly things because He is from heaven.

God sent His Son into the world to save the world not to bring condemnation.

Application
We know the wind- we hear it and see its effects. We appreciate a cooling wind on a hot day and we use the wind for sail boarding and flying kites. Some people even understand the physics of why the wind blows.

None of us understands where the wind comes from or goes to, or why it can be gusty one minute and calm the next. We don’t know the wind at all.

Everyone who is born of the Spirit is like that to those who are outside the Kingdom of God. I used to think this was talking about the ways of the Holy Spirit being mysterious, but it is those who are born of the Spirit- the christians- who are mysterious.

Who of those outside the Kingdom can understand our love for God’s word, our church gatherings, the mysteries of prayer?

As we learn to live in the grace of the Holy Spirit, the things we do become more and more distant from the ways of the world. In the best cases, the people of God are seen as worthy of respect or as gracious beyond imagining. A pastor hugs a man who days before had run over his little boy; a church that expresses love and forgiveness to a man who slaughtered a dozen at their prayer meeting.

“I could never do that,” they say. That is true because it is only the Holy Spirit who makes heroic grace possible.

Prayer
Lord may I be a mystery to the world as I seek to be led by your Spirit. May I be a testimony of your power and grace. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 4:1-11

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temptation

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4.1-11

Scripture

Then Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Observation

Jesus is driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for the purpose of being tempted by the devil. He fasts for 40 days and nights.

The devil then comes to Jesus with three temptations. First, he suggests that Jesus turns stones into bread to relieve the hunger from fasting. Jesus rebukes him with the scripture about man not living by bread alone.

The devil takes Jesus to a high place, telling Him to throw Himself down and trust angels to save Him. Again Jesus rebukes the devil with Scripture.

Finally the devil tries to appeal to Jesus’ human pride. He tells Jesus to worship the devil and all the glories of the world will be His. Jesus replies by telling the devil to leave, for God has commanded that we are to worship Him alone.

Application

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. The word translated as “led” literally means to “cast out.” The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness in order to be tempted.

It is often said that the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and will not make us do anything against our will. In some ways this is generally true, but there are times when the Holy Spirit is insistent, almost violent.

If I am serious about following Jesus, there will be many times when I feel pushed into doing things I would prefer not to.

Here, Jesus is pushed into a confrontation that everything in His human nature must have recoiled from. A long period of fasting followed by a full-on battle with satan is not something anyone would willingly embrace.

It is also said that God does not lead us to temptation. Maybe not, but here the Holy Spirit drove Jesus to a place specifically to be tempted by satan.

God allows us to face temptation in order to strengthen our resolve to follow Him. Standing firm against concerted testing enables us to know that we have won a victory in Christ. Failing under temptation shows that we need more of the Holy Spirit. Temptation is a win- win, even when we lose!

Prayer

Holy Spirit, when testing and temptation come to me, help me to look to you for the answer. Please make me stronger in my faith. Amen.

Reflection on Romans 5:12-21

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romans5-19

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+512-21

Scripture

For just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.

Observation

Sin came into the world through Adam bringing death with it. Death spread to all because all sin. But Adam was a type or fore-runner of Christ,

The free gift of Christ is not like the sin of Adam. Many died because of Adam’s sin, but the grace of Jesus Christ abounds even more surely than the sin. Sin brings condemnation but Christ’s gift brings justification and life.

Law came in and sin multiplied, but where sin abounded grace abounded even more. Sin exercised dominion in death, but grace exercises dominion through justification that leads to eternal life in Christ.

Application

There are parallels between the act of Adam which leads to sin and death, and the act of Jesus Christ who laid down His own life in order to bring justification and eternal life to all.

We share in the sin of Adam because we share his DNA. We are born in sin and destined to die. There is no escape from the law of sin and death.

But Jesus came and cancelled the law of sin and death. He died to set us free from sin. We are justified- that is, made right with God- and therefore we can live forever with God.

The gift of life is available to all who will receive it. We all sin and die, but only those who accept the salvation that comes in Christ will share eternal life.

As John’s gospel says, the light has come into the darkness, but some people prefer the darkness and reject the light. God will not force salvation on anyone.

Eternal life is an awesome promise. We are surrounded by death. As we get older, or as we watch our parents get older, we see the law of death at work close up.

But, hallelujah! death does not win in the end. For those who are followers of Jesus Christ, life has defeated death because righteousness has defeated sin.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the certainty of eternal life. All because of Jesus’ death on the cross, I know my sins are forgiven and eternal life is mine. Amen.

Reflection on Genesis 3:1-7

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temptation3156

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3.1-7

Scripture

The serpent said, “Did God really say…”

Observation

The serpent says to Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’” Eve replies that they were allowed to eat from any tree except the one in the middle of the garden.

The serpent then entices Eve with the prospect of knowledge of good and evil, and that this is something that God is trying to keep from them.

So Eve takes the fruit and eats it, and then offers some to her husband. Then their eyes are opened, and they know that they are naked.

Application

At the heart of every temptation that comes to the follower of Jesus is the question, “Did God really say…?”

When we are torn between what our fallen nature wants to do and what God wants us to do, then satan comes along wit the deadly question, “Did God really say?”

Sadly, there are too many christians who do not know what God has said in His word, and so they can’t accurately or confidently answer this simple question.

There are people who know the word of God intellectually but do not carry it in their hearts. These people perform the most amazing mental gymnastics to justify their own sins. When the devil says “Did God really say that homosexuality is an abomination?” they will twist the words, redefine terms and deny the plain meaning of the text to say “No, God didn’t really say that?”

We need to know the word of God. We need to understand the will of God for our lives.

In Ephesians 6, the word of God is described as the sword of the Holy Spirit, If we know the scriptures, we can quickly cut satan down with this powerful weapon.

Prayer

Help me, Lord, to know, understand and take into my heart your wonderful word. When I am tempted with the question, “Did God really say?”, may I always have the grace to say, “This is what God has said!” Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 17:1-9

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transfiguration

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+17.1-9

Scripture

After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

Observation

Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a high mountain by themselves. There His appearance is changed so that His clothes and face shine like the sun. Then Moses and Elijah also appear with Him.

Peter babbles on about building shelters, but he is interrupted by a voice from the cloud which says, “This is my Son whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

The disciples are terrified, but Jesus tells them not to be afraid.

Application

Jesus led a small group up a mountain for a revelation of His true nature.

Our culture, including our church culture, is obsessed with big events. Bigger, it seems, is always better.

But here we have a small group of believers, Peter, James and John, on a small group retreat (a leadership retreat, perhaps) whose sole purpose is to receive a revelation of Jesus.

He leads. They follow. He reveals.

This is a model for discipleship everywhere:

  • Jesus leads us step by step

  • We follow the best way we know

  • He gives a new revelation of His nature and His purpose for us.

  • The cycle is repeated.

This cycle of discipleship applies also to cell groups. This passage shows that revelation comes most clearly in the presence of a small group of people who are determined to follow Jesus together.

We don’t know much about the journey up or back down the mountain. There would have been talking, banter, fellowship and teaching. They were on a journey together, and in the middle of the journey there is given a new insight into Jesus.

We need one another. The church is meant to be a community of people who encourage and build one another up along the way. That community building happens most effectively in small groups.

Big meetings are great for their own purpose, but we also need small groups of believers seeking God together.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you that in our walk with you there is always more to discover. Thank you for the people you have put in my life who help me to learn more of you and to see more of who you are. Amen.

 

Reflection on Matthew 5:38-48

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fight

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5.38-48

Scripture

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evil-doer”

Observation

Jesus takes the principles of the Law and extend their application to lengths that seem (and actually are) impossible to fulfil.

An eye for an eye becomes do not resist an evil-doer.

If someone sues you, give them more than is their due.

Love you neighbour becomes love your enemy because to be like the Father we have to love those who hate us.

The people of this world can be kind to people they like. It takes the grace of God to love our enemies.

Application

How do I live my daily life in the context of the radical love of God?

Revenge, even in the limited version allowed in the Jewish Law seems appropriate to most people. The Law of Moses allowed that a person who was injured by another person could take a legally sanctioned retribution in which the perpetrator was injured to the same extent as the victim. So then you have two maimed people, and the injuries of the victim are still there.

Jesus says, “Do not resist an evil-doer.” How does this apply when your house is invaded by people who want to harm you and your family?

Many Americans, and I suppose many people from most cultures, whether christians or not, subscribe to the philosophy of “Do unto others before they do unto you.” In other words a loaded gun beside the bed is your best protection.

How does that tie in with “Do not resist evil doers”?

Jesus tells us not to meet violence with violence, but with a defiant form of non-violence. “Turn the other cheek.”

Most of us do not often face extreme violence such as robbery or assault. Our situation is more likely a daily slap in the face- contemptuous put-downs, mischievous harassment. In those situations, Jesus tells us to show kindness to those who show us hatred, to love those who do us wrong. Rather than retaliation we choose a higher path of peace and love.

When our physical safety is threatened the odds are higher. But the principle is the same- remove the threat without harming the person. I can’t imagine what it is like to be a christian in ISIS controlled territory, or to go through a violent home invasion. In those situations we need the grace of Jesus to follow Him even in great suffering or at the point of death.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you sometimes challenge our thinking on what is right and good. The standard “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” is too high for us. Help me to surrender myself to your grace in every situation. Amen.