Enjoy the continuation of “Daily Graces from God” - August Abundance part 3.We continue to follow the lectionary for weekdays and Sundays. What is a lectionary?
A “lectionary” is a selection of scripture readings allocated for each day. “Liturgical” churches such as Lutheran, Episcopal, Anglican or Catholic, walk through the seasons of each year with different ‘lectionary’ readings spaced over a three year period.
Each day we read from the Old Covenant, Psalms, Epistles and the Gospel.
You may have noticed that ‘weekday’ readings follow a Gospel that is different than the Gospel for Sundays.
Some Sunday readings are repeated each year for specific ‘liturgical’ moments such as Christmas, Epiphany,
Throughout these meditations, you’ll find a “Pause” in which some unfamiliar practice is briefly explained. For instance, refer to August Abundance Part One, between 8-8 and 8-9, for a brief explanation of the word ‘Liturgical.’
August 21, 2019 Daily Readings: 2 Samuel 18:19-23; Psalm 119:145-176; Psalm 128;129; Psalm 130; Acts 23:23-35; Mark 12:13-27
The book of ACTS is full of ACTION. One can
But the son of Paul’s sister (nephew) vs. :16 heard the conversation and warned a Roman cohort. After deducing that Paul was indeed a Roman citizen and entitled to protection, we read the following verse:
Acts 23:23 Two Centurions said, “Get 200 soldiers ready to leave by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea with, 70 horsemen and 200 spear men.”
Now that’s drama. Those in charge, wanted to protect Paul but that much protection seems a little over-the-top!
These forty devout Jews could not see what Paul discovered regarding the One, True, God. They were blinded by their interpretation of the Law and their own perception of God’s presence. They knew many prophetic verses regarding the Messiah, the anointed One, who died and was resurrected so that men such as these forty could embrace the fullness of God’s presence through His Son, Jesus Christ. But they chose not to believe.
As a Roman citizen Paul was protected from these vigilantes but God orchestrated Paul's protection because it was not yet his time to die.
The intrigue of this story and all the stories in the book of Acts keeps us so enthralled that we cannot put the book down. Right?
Think about it: We read a snippet of today’s ‘lectionary’,
How about the entire book of Acts?
It’s the same with the Old Covenant readings.
Acts and two books of Samuel are pager-turners.
The books contain fascinating twists and turns that unfold a story of intrigue and lead us into God’s all-powerful presence no matter the century.
Find a readable version of the Bible - Message, Jerusalem, Living, or New International version. The version does not matter as long as you delight in digesting the story of God’s leading, protection and voice in written word.
EnJOY!
8-22 2 Samuel 19:1-23; Psalm 131,132,134,135; Acts 24:1-23; Mark 12:28-34
Mark 12:29-31 The Greatest Commandment . . . “Hear, O Israel, the Lord Our God is One Lord [Deut.6:4] And you shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is
this,”You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”
We all know this by heart. Right?
God’s Chosen People know the first part of the Great Commandment and repeat it every time they came together to worship God.
“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our YHWH, our Adonai, is One.” The Hebrew understood God, the Father, who is over all and through all and in all who trust in Him. They understood the Holy Spirit who swirled around, directed, nudged and filled those whom God chose for a specific tasks at specific times. However, the Holy Spirit was not planted in them as He is in baptized Christians.
Christians, wishing to share the love of Christ by giving their time, talent and treasure, are more than willing to help their neighbor. In fact many of us love our ‘neighbor’ so much that we tend to concentrate only on the second part of God’s commandment for us. We forget that we will easily run out of steam if we have not first become intimate with our Lord, by learning who He is and what He expects of us and simply ‘lingering at His feet’ for a period of time. We gain our greatest strength when we learn to ‘be’ with the Lord before we can ‘do’ for the Lord.
Think about it: Are you glowing with the presence of the
Lord in such a way that you draw inquiries about why you ‘glow’?
Are you prepared to share our own story of change of direction toward living eternally through belief in Jesus Christ?
Do you know Christ Jesus so intimately that words role out of your heart that might draw another into that intimacy with the Lord?
List four ways you Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
How would you express this openly to one who is curious about eternal life with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
8-23 2 Sam 19:24-43; Ps. 140,141,142,143:1-11; Acts 24:24—25:12; Mark 12:35-44
You may know the story of the ‘Widow’s Mite.”
Jesus compares the abundant gift of this widow with the paltry sum given by those who have plenty of money to give but only give a small amount, which indeed, may be much larger than the Widow’s Mite.
Jesus compares the abundant gift of this widow with the paltry sum given by those who have plenty of money to give but only give a small amount, which indeed, may be much larger than the Widow’s Mite.
It’s interesting to learn that a ‘mite’ = 2 copper coins
2 copper coins = 1 cent [each copper coin thus equals $.005]
1 cent = 1/64 of a diner.
1 diner = 1 day’s wage during the widows lifespan.
A copper coin was so insignificant that most people would walk over it in the street. This widow may have found a couple copper coins as she was walking to the Temple to worship the Lord, thy God.
In other words, this widow was destitute.
We are prompted to ask, “How does she live?
Where does she sleep? What does she eat?”
It matters little how she has survived but that she HAS survived to this date.
God sees her heart.
In the widows heart and mind, God has provided for her.
God sees her heart.
In the widows heart and mind, God has provided for her.
She does not hesitate to give a ‘thank’ offering for God's provision.
Her treasure is with God and, no matter how poor she is, ALL she has belongs to God.
The attitude of gratitude is key, isn’t it.
We may think we are giving our ALL to the Lord but are we?
We may think we love the Lord our whole heart, soul, mind and strength but when it comes to our greatest treasure, are we willing to hand that treasure to God if prompted?
How about the church you attend… weekly or several times a week?
Do you receive morsels of wisdom, assurance, comfort, an infilling of God’s presence and so much more as your soul is fed?
We who call ourselves ‘Christian’ are called to give all we have to the One, Jesus Christ, who gave His life for us.
Count your blessings.
For each amount you spend beyond the most basic essentials of living, tally up the cost.
For instance, for each Latte or take-out or fancy morsel at the grocery store or piece of clothing you purchase add it all up.
Match up, dollar for dollar, all your ‘extra’ spending for the week, Month.
Give that amount to the Lord.
Perhaps cutting back on the ‘extra spending’ may help the budget and help with the giving of the “tithe” that is the bare minimum suggested in scripture.
The widow not only tithed, but she “gave” all she had.
It’s something to think about.
A goal to attain.
A goal to attain.
Watch your heart.
It will soar for the Lord when you reach your goal.
It will soar for the Lord when you reach your goal.
8-24 Saint Bartholomew, the Apostle
Deuteronomy 18:15-18; Psalm 91; 1 Corinthiens 4:9-15; Luke 22:24-30
Notice that specific scriptures are set aside to explain the life of this little known Apostle. For instance, this Old Testament scripture applies quite well to
Bartholomew. It’s possible that these words were quoted to the Apostles.
Deuteronomy 18:18 The Lord said, “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”
This Psalm is powerful, prophetic and reassuring to the ones Jesus picked to follow Him to the Cross and beyond.
Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will ABIDE in the shadow of the Almighty.
:11 He will give His angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.
:14-16 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high because he has known My Name. He will call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation.”
:11 He will give His angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.
Paul, the Lord’s Apostle, explains, in part, the roll of a dedicated Apostle:
1 Cor.4:9ff “We . .. Apostles. . . have become fools for Christ’s sake. . . We toil, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless. When we are persecuted, we endure.”
Bartholomew is also known as Nathaniel. The Gospel story says Jesus knew him before he was brought to Jesus. "How do you know me?" he asked. Jesus said, "I saw you sitting under the fig tree." At that moment Bartholomew professed Jesus as Lord.
After Jesus’ ascension, Bartholomew spread the Gospel throughout Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Armenia, Lycaonia, Phyrgia and on the shores of the Black Sea.
Legend says he was flayed alive and crucified upside down by
Astyages, the brother of Polymius, King of Armenia, for converting Polymius to Christ.
After Jesus’ ascension, Bartholomew spread the Gospel throughout Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Armenia, Lycaonia, Phyrgia and on the shores of the Black Sea.
Legend says he was flayed alive and crucified upside down by
Think about it:
Are many willing to follow in Bartholomew’s footsteps?
Are many willing to follow in Bartholomew’s footsteps?
I, for one, do not desire to be ‘flayed alive’ thank you.
Sometimes we may feel as if we are bring ‘crucified’ with a disdainful look for openly sharing our faith-habits . . . like praying over a meal in public or wearing ashes for the entire day on Ash Wednesday or asking someone if we can pray for them and doing so right there if they say
'yes.' It's called 'Holy Boldness.'
Are we willing to be martyred emotionally because we choose to share the joy of our own salvation in the midst of this secular world?
Think of a few ways you might help others know Christ, grow in Christ and be filled with the Love of God and the Joy of salvation through Christ Jesus?
Go for it with the same gusto as Bartholomew.
8-25 11th Sunday after Pentecost
Isaiah 58:9b-14; Psalm. 103:1-8; Hebrews 12:18-29; Luke 13:10-17
Luke 13:11-:14 A woman had a sickness for eighteen years, caused by a spirit that made her to be bent double. Jesus said, “Woman, you are freed from your
sickness.” He laid hands on her and immediately she was made erect again and she glorified God. A Synagogue official was indignant because Jesus healed on the Sabbath.
sickness.” He laid hands on her and immediately she was made erect again and she glorified God. A Synagogue official was indignant because Jesus healed on the Sabbath.I chose a few snippets of this passage to make a simple point.
Jesus’ parables are real life stories with a moral application.
Jesus turned daily events into experiences from which we all can learn.
Can you imagine living with an illness for eighteen years without a cure?
This woman may have endured every magic potion, every incantation, every ‘cure’ available at the time. Perhaps Jesus’ healing hand was her last try.
Yet, by digesting every written word, we gain new clues.
Jesus saw a ‘spirit’ within her that could be banished in order for the power of God to unbend, release her, to her full stature.
The minute Jesus touched her body, she was healed.
Jesus used divine power to expel the spirit from her.
She trusted his healing hand.
This woman had new life, not only being freed from her physical burden, but new life as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Those who only knew the Law, in spite of seeing a miracle, could only be indignant because it was the Sabbath. [The Law says, “Do no ‘works’ on the Sabbath.”]
Think about it: Perhaps some of us are ‘bent over’ by the burdens of life. Perhaps we have an illness in which doctors can only diagnose but can do little more. Are we bent over with fear or lethargy or a sense of “Oh well, this is just part of who I am?”
Is it possible to keep seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord to help us ‘stand erect’ no matter the circumstances?
Can we trust another Christian to call upon the healing power of Jesus Christ as hands are laid upon us in prayer?
Are we open to receiving all Jesus can give us, including healing, as we give praise to God?
It’s worth a try.
8-26 1 Kings 1:5-31; Ps.1,2,3,4,7; Acts 26:1-23; Mark 13:14-27
1 Kings 1: David is old and Adonijah thinks he will be
the next king. The son of David by Haggith, Adonijah, is about 35 years old and may have been the oldest of David’s sons. Yet, he was not designated heir to the throne by David. As Adonijah crowns himself, Nathan [a wise prophet close to David] seeks to thwart his plan by talking to Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba.
Nathan said, “Go to David and tell him that Solomon needs to take the throne. I will follow you and affirm what you are saying.” Bathsheba said to David, :17 “My Lord, you swore to your maidservant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne’”
Bathsheba continues, :20 “As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you,to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.” :29-:30 The king vowed and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, surely as I vowed to you by the Lord the God of Israel, saying, ‘Your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne in my place; I will indeed do so this day.’”
:31 Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and prostrated herself before the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever.”
There is so much to digest in these few phrases.
Conspiracy foiled, King David’s favorite wife makes sure her son, Solomon, is the one to succeed his father. Bathsheba did all in her power, including benevolence to King David, so she would gain the greatly honored position of Queen-Mother of the new king, Solomon. Power-plays run through this passage.
Think about it: Does scripture read like a mystery novel or a grand drama?
God anoints some to be ‘king’ but others choose to usurp God’s choice and take the ‘crown’ of the Lord’s anointing when they are not ‘called’ to do so.
Isn’t life like that?
Some of us may choose to be leaders in an area we are not called.
Some others may happily choose to remain in the background but God says otherwise.
Sometimes the Lord pulls us into a scary leadership role even though we ‘feel’ unqualified. We know we are fully equipped to say “yes” to God but we hesitate.
Mary, mother of Jesus, was ‘called’ into the scary
place of being an unwed mother. With little hesitation, Mary said ‘yes’ to the Angel Gabriel, God’s messenger.
It’s a good practice to take a few moments each day to ask the Lord to show us clearly where we are to be used ‘today’.
Is some job or ministry tugging at your heart?
Do you think you might be the one to do the job well?
Ask the Lord to open the necessary doors and lead you to this destination.
Often, if we are praying for God’s will to be done, this tug in our heart to go a certain direction has been orchestrated by the Holy Spirit within us.
Our Spirit is listening.
Is our heart?
The worst that can happen is that the door is closed tight.
Keep moving forward.
Like Mary, are prepared to respond to God at any time, without hesitation, if we are ‘called’ to some work that we know is of the Lord even if it seems beyond our capability?
That’s what’s so exciting about serving the Lord with gladness in all ways. Our Lord is always with us, directing us, through the grand drama of life.
It's up to us to acknowledge His presence daily.
He'll do the rest.
1 Kings 2:1-4,10 As David’s time to die drew near, he encouraged Solomon his son, saying, “I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn.” :4 “If your sons are careful of their way to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.”
Can you see how God’s plan weaves through David’s life in spite of human frailty?
8-27 1 Kings 1:38—2:4; Ps.5,6,10,11; Acts 26:24—27:8; Mark 13:28-37
:10 then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.
These final words from father to son are packed with wisdom.
David prepared Solomon for the daunting task of leading
a large and wealthy kingdom while keeping his eyes on God’s path that was set out for him.
Solomon knew that it was his duty to follow his father’s vision of building a permanent temple to house the Ark of Covenant, which he did.
David’s life will never be forgotten. David was specifically chosen by God to lead the Israelites. David, Solomon and a myriad of descendants remained in Covenant relationship with God as each new generation continued God’s path to the New Covenant, Jesus Christ.
Think about it: What a legacy!
Are you building up those who will carry the legacy of our Lord to the next generation?
David’s words to Solomon, “Keep the charge of the Lord thy God” are words for us today. For us this means to stand strong in our faith and carry our firm foundation to the next generation so that they will also be strong in Christ.
We are all called to know Christ and make him known to others.
Study David’s words.
Are you ready to draw someone into the love and grace of Christ Jesus, then help to build a strong faith foundation in that person?
Perhaps a look at our own faith-habits comes first.
Go for it!
You’ll be blessed!
8-28 1 Kings 3:1-15; Ps. 119:1-24; Ps.12,13,14; Acts 27:9-26; Mark 14:1-11
Acts 27:22-23 Paul says, “Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I
serve stood before me saying, ‘Do not be afraid’ . . .”
The ship is about to be devoured by sky-high waves as Paul encourages the crew who are taking him to Rome. Paul is under arrest and could have done better jumping ship but his duty is to assure these fearful men that God is with them.
“Do not be afraid” is a powerful phrase.
Paul had total confidence in his guardian angel, God’s messenger.
The angel affirmed to Paul that no one would die but they may lose the ship.
Read further.
You will be mesmerized by Paul’s words and actions that bring the entire crew to safety and to an awesome understanding of God in Christ, Jesus.
Paul did not miss a beat even when the crew had to throw everything overboard, and . . . read on. You’ll love the intrigue.
Think about it: Do some days feel like sky-high waves are pelting down so powerfully that you feel like you are going to drown?
It’s good to memorize a verse of scripture or a prayer that will remain in your heart for those challenging moments.
Make a habit of repeating the verse daily so that it will be tucked permanently into your soul.
Each morning praise the Lord for providing His protection, wisdom and discernment as you go about your day.
These habits should keep you safe from drowning even if your ‘life-ship’ may seem wrecked for a moment.
Think about it: What if someone claimed your baby as their own?
8-29 1 Kings 3:16-28; Ps. 18; Acts 27:27-44; Mark 14:12-26
1 Kings 3:16-28 Two harlots - each gave birth to a child three days apart and one child, a son, died. The one who lost her child took the other child.
Solomon said, “Take a sword and divide the living child in two and give half to each woman.” The one whose child it was said, “Give the child to the other woman but do not kill it.” So Solomon gave the baby to the first woman. All Israel saw and was in awe of the wisdom of Solomon.
Solomon did not come by such wisdom by chance. While in prayer, Solomon asked God for the gift of WISDOM. His father, David, also took great care to educate his most favorite son in all things, especially Godly wisdom.
Solomon was groomed for this gift. Once he asked God for the gift, it was his.
It seems unimaginable.
Yet, if we ever had to choose between letting go of a child or that child’s death, this decision may need much prayer, discernment and wisdom from God. Perhaps when our children leave the nest, move away as young adults, we fear for their lives, for the decisions they will make. Because we love our children more than life itself, letting go of them may actually give them the life-skills to survive and even thrive.
How was your journey when your parents ‘let go’ of you?
8-30 1 Kings 5:1—6:1,7; Ps. 16, 17, 22; Acts 28:1-16; Mark 14:27-42
Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.
Did you know that the pupil of the eye is sometimes called the “apple” and is the most delicate part of the eye.
Centuries ago the pupil was often called the ‘daughter’ of they eye? The pupil is essential for vision and, therefore, must be protected at all costs.
Having a daughter is like that, isn’t it.
She often is ‘daddy’s’ girl, loved and protected, no matter what the cost.
Parents tend to watch a daughter more closely than a son when they become teens or young adults. It’s not that a son needs less supervision but it is the assumption that a daughter needs help fighting the wars of the world. She is the ‘delicate apple’ so to speak.
In today’s world I believe both son and daughter need extra protection against the forces that can draw them away from a healthy lifestyle and a commitment to God in Christ. Parents must be Vigilant in communication, affirming that their love and God’s love is always present.
Young adults need to know that they are always the ‘apple of the eye’ to God who who can help direct their path . . . or help them return to His path if they submit to Him. Parents, family and Christian friends are key to shaping the lives of young people and affirming to them that they will always have a home in Christ.
It’s not too late to do the same for a grandchild or a neighbor’s child.
Sunday school and Vacation Bible School may seem like the perfect answer to sharing the Christian faith but that’s only the ‘frosting on the cake.’
It’s our personal, one-on-one, sharing of our time and telling our own journey in Christ that is most important.
Sharing how God’s grace can guide us beyond our vulnerability and pitfalls is part of helping another grow in Christ.
It’s that loving relationship that we have with the Lord, our own assurance of salvation, that is important to pass on to strengthen the ‘apple’ of the next generations.
8-31 1 Kings 7:51—8:21; Ps.20,21,110,116,117; Acts 28:17-31; Mark 14:43-52
1 Kings 8:1 “Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the father’s households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is Zion. :6 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim. :9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. :10 It happened that when the priests come from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. :12 Then Solomon said, ‘The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.’”
Now close your eyes.
What do you see, smell, hear?
Can you sense the celebration, the eagerness to enter a
new edifice that will house a permanent place for the ark of the covenant?
Solomon, as a king and leader of the Israelites, is also a priest. He, with other priests who were carrying the ark on long poles, proudly entered the holy of holies. Only after the ark was in place, under the wings of the Cherubim, did the cloud of God appear.
God’s presence, the cloud, sanctified this holy space. From then on, only a designated priest could enter this very holy space, the Holy of Holies, and only on specific occasions set by God. This temple dedication would be significant for centuries to come.
Think about it: Can you think of a glorious occasion in
your church where all celebrated a new beginning with our Lord?
Did you sense the powerful presence of God?
Can you recall seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching that which was prepared especially for this time of joyous adoration of God’s presence?
These special moments of celebration are very important in our Christian walk. Even dedicating a new home to God with a house-blessing is a time for friends and neighbors to join together for a grand celebration of food and fellowship. These celebrations remind us of God’s powerful presence, not only within a church edifice but within our souls.
And now we complete the three sections of scripture for August. God's abundance is prolific.
Celebrate the abundance of wisdom gained this month as we continue to seek understanding.
And now we complete the three sections of scripture for August. God's abundance is prolific.
Celebrate the abundance of wisdom gained this month as we continue to seek understanding.
