Psalm 65-12.16.21
Scripture
Psalms 65:1-3 TPT
“O God in Zion, to you even silence is praise! You who answers prayer, all of humanity comes before you with their requests. Though we are overcome by our many sins, your sacrifice covers over them all.”
Observation
David writes a psalm praising God and his work.
Understanding
David, both in this excerpt and this chapter, glorifies God. What I like specifically is this portion of the verse in the Passion Translation, as it says, “…to you even silence is praise!”. It reminds me of a conversation I had with Levi a while ago, where we talked about how worship is a state of being, a constant, and this excerpt from the Passion Translation captures that perfectly. David goes on in the chapter to illustrate how God is so worthy of every bit of praise we have to offer, saying (in the NIV translation), “Praise awaits you, our God…”
Life Application
Worship is a state of being. It’s so important that we understand that. Life isn’t always going to be easy. Sometimes we will be faced with pain, anger, and genuine suffering. In the times I’ve found myself unable to face the reality before me, I give praise to God, regardless of what I’m feeling or going through, because I know that is so much greater than anything I will ever face. Worship and praise has always pulled me through the toughest of times, not just praising what he’s done in my life, but praising him for all of his works (Psalm 77:11-12)
-Anakin Cerda
Joshua 16-12.15.21
Scripture
Joshua 16:10
“They did not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, however, so the people of Gezer live as slaves among the people of Ephraim to this day.”
Observation
Joshua is continuing to give the allotments of land to the different tribes of Israel. This time he gives some land to Ephraim, Joseph's son. The land that God promised His people is now all theirs! One problem however...they did not drive out the Canaanites out from their land. They live amongst the people of Ephraim to this day. Is this what God had wanted for them? Why not finish the work God had called them to and take the land completely?
Understanding
God wants what is best for His children. We must trust and obey God to receive His best from Him.
God put the 10 commandments in place for His people. It's not to be a "killjoy", but it is because God loves and cares for us so much that He gives us these commandments to live under so we can benefit from them both physically and spiritually. God put them into our lives as a safeguard to protect us from life's pitfalls and evil. God wants the best for us. It is up to us to trust Him/His ways, above our own, to fully receive His best.
The people of Israel are God's chosen ones. God has blessed them with a new life and a new land. He tells His people to go get what is theirs, the land that He has promised them, and to take it all for themselves. But they failed to do one thing. They let some of the "old tenants" stay behind, and live amongst them. (Ephraim's tribe did not drive out the Canaanites in this passage, and the tribe of Judah did not drive out the Jebusites in the previous chapter). God knew the problems that would arise if His people were to share the land amongst the Canaanites and Jebusites. God didn't want these other people's pagan beliefs and sinful lifestyle to infect His people's mindsets. God knew that if His people didn't take the land that He had blessed them with completely, that His people will fall back into living that sinful life that He had just delivered them from. God had delivered them from their enemies; He had given them this new land filled with milk and honey; He is giving them a fresh start; He is willing to give His people His best, but their disobedience of His instructions caused them to not receive it. They will be hindered because of it.
“If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the LORD your God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you, as he promised with an oath to your ancestors. He will love you and bless you, and he will give you many children. He will give fertility to your land and your animals. When you arrive in the land he swore to give your ancestors, you will have large harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats.”
Deuteronomy 7:12-13 NLT
Life Application
Settling for anything but God's best is just plain mediocre!
Why settle for ground beef everyday, when I can get filet mignon? Sure ground beef is good, but it really doesn't compare to a nice, juicy, tender piece of filet mignon that is well cooked and prepared by the world's renowned chef! And that is what I'll be missing out on in life if I settle for anything but God's best for me. God wants His best for me. Am I willing to trust in Him, obey Him, and wait on Him if need be?
Dear God, thank You for giving me Your best each and everyday. I know at times it may not seem like Your best to me, but I know that You have a purpose behind everything. I know in the long run, if I continue to trust in You, and obey You, I will be a better man because of it, and I will reap Your blessings from it. Help me not to settle for this world's best, but to strive for Your best. Thank You God for seeing the best in me. I love You Lord Jesus. Amen.
-Moses Gaddi
Matthew 20-12.14.21
Scripture
Matthew 20:1-16
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Observation
Jesus tells a parable about workers who feel they deserve more than others who did not work a full day but received the same pay. The workers had agreed to a certain wage for the day, but they didn’t think it was “fair” for others to get the same wage for less work. The landowner points out that how he spends his money is his decision. And likewise, God’s ways are not like our ways. In more than one parable, he says the last will be first and the first will be last.
Understanding
“That’s not fair!” How often does that come out of a child’s mouth? And if I’m honest, mine too! Most of us think that things should be fair (deserved, due, justified, merited). If I work hard, I should be rewarded. If I make a bad choice, there will be consequences. There’s nothing wrong with fair. But “fair” is not how God works. If God was fair, he wouldn’t have saved me. He wouldn’t continue to forgive me over and over again. I don’t deserve it, I didn’t earn it. I didn’t get what was due to me. I got love and forgiveness and salvation. Because I’ve been a Christian for a long time, do I deserve more love and more forgiveness than someone who gets saved tomorrow? Or can I do enough good works to make Him love me more than someone else? Can I level up in the kingdom of God?
So when God says the last will be first and the first will be last, He’s asking us to give up our earthly mindset of striving to be first (focusing on ourselves) and put Him first. If we put our focus on Him, we don’t have room to be worrying about our status. If we put our focus on Him, we won’t be concerned with what others are doing. As we put our focus on Him, we will hear His heart for people and learn to love them like He does. Putting others’ needs before ours will become natural.
Life Application
God, thank you for reminding me again today that there is nothing I can do to earn your love. And I don’t need to, because you freely give it. Help me to accept it and give it to others.
-Debbie Dunn