Devotions for the week of June 20 and June 27

– this preacher got so long winded this will serve for 2 weeks for the 20^th and 27^th  :)

(We invite you to join with us Sunday for Sunday School as we dig into the Psalms together in Phillip Yancey book “The Bible Jesus Read.”)

Though we do not think of it much, The Old Testament  was the only scripture that Jesus had to read or reference.  Even the Apostle Paul's early admonition to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God—breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuilding, correcting and training in righteousness,” was referring first to the Old Testament.

In many ways we need to unlock some of the mysteries in the Old Testament to fully understand all to the truths in the New.  In Yancey's book we will look in depth at 5 particular Old Testament books.  Oswald Chambers commented on each of these books—The Psalms teach us how to pray; Job teaches us how to suffer,  Song of Solomon teaches you how to love, Proverbs teaches you how to live and Ecclesiastes teaches one how to enjoy life.

More than anything else  the Old Testament is a reminder of God's grace.  He chose a people and a nation (Israel) not because of their worthiness but most often in spite of their  weakness and challenges.

Just look at the leaders he picked, “Abraham pimped for his wife, Jacob cheated his brother, Moses murdered, David murdered and committed adultery both—yet all of these ended up on God's list of favorites. Jacob got his new name Israel (God-struggler) after an all-night wrestling match with God, and ever since the name of God's people has harkened back to that contest. God's people are, literally, the children of struggle.  God has it out with loud complainers like Job, Jeremiah, and Jonah.  He engages Abraham and Moses in lengthy arguments—and sometimes lets them win!  In his wrestling match with Jacob, God waits until daybreak to inflict the wound; till then Jacob holds his own.  Quite obviously, God prefers honest disagreement to dishonest submission.  He takes human beings seriously, conducts dialogues with them, includes them in his plans, listen to them”

That is a grace we should never take for granted and a grace we all need

Lord,

We thank you for wanting an authentic real relationship with us. Thank you for loving us and being gracious to us so much that we can be true and honest about all of our feelings and struggles. There is no other way you would want us to speak to You than as to our Best Friend.

In Jesus name we pray

Amen