Psalm 118-3.8.22
SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 118:1-4
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let Israel say: "His love endures forever." Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever." Let those who fear the Lord say: "His love endures forever."
OBSERVATION:
The psalmist is declaring that God's love is faithful and as a result of His love to all nations, our response should be to praise Him! God loves the nations; all people, and the above verses point back to the covenant He made with Abraham, how He chose Abraham, and promised him land, seed, (a great nation; Israel), and promised that all the peoples on the earth would be blessed through him. He also promised that all the other nations of the earth would be blessed through Abraham's descendants. "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you." (Genesis 12:2).
UNDERSTANDING:
God chose Israel to reveal the Messiah and He chose the house of Aaron to be the priestly mediators to offer sacrifices for sin until... God sent His Son, Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice.
LIFE APPLICATION:
The best way to show our love to God is by obeying Him. When asked by the Pharisee, "Which is the greatest commandment in the Law", Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all Your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Thank You for making a way for ALL of us to know the goodness and faithfulness of our Your love. Even when the world around us changes, Your love is constant and it NEVER changes! ! We always have a reason to be glad and rejoice because our true source of joy and peace comes from trusting in You.
"You are my God, and I will give You thanks. You are my God, and I will exalt You. I give You thanks, for You are good; and Your faithful love endures forever!
-Robin Orefice
1 Corinthians 3-3.7.22
Scripture
1 Corinthians 3:3 NLT
“for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?”
Observation-What does it say?
Paul is writing a letter to the church in Corinth. He is basically scolding them for their foolishness and lack of spiritual growth. They are arguing and jealous with one another. They should be maturing in their faith, but instead they are still stuck in the “infant” stage of their faith. As Christ Followers, they should be holy, set apart from the world. But instead, they are stuck, continuing to do worldly things and letting their sinful desires control them, rather than being led by the Holy Spirit.
Understanding-What does it mean?
It’s time to grow up!
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”-Romans 12:2a
Paul uses the perfect analogy here when referring to the Corinthians. He referred to them as infants “in Christ”-(vs.1). Instead of growing in their faith, they were stagnant, and struggling with issues they should have grown out of. It’s like a baby that needs to be fed and changed. Sure you expect to have to do that when they’re still young and small. But how would that look if you’re still feeding, bathing, and changing them when they’re years older and bigger?..Pretty silly right?! They should have grown up and matured by then. They should be able to do those things on their own now. The same goes with us as Christians. We should constantly be growing and maturing in our faith. Don’t be a Christian who has been in the faith for years and years, only to be repeating the same grade over and over. It’s time to graduate! It’s time for us to grow up and learn to feed and change ourselves.
Life Application
Sunday mornings should only scratch the surface for Christ Followers.
If we want to grow and mature in our faith, it’s going to take a lot more than just going to church each Sunday. That’s just scratching the surface in my book. But what are we doing the other days of the week to live out our faith? Are we just expecting to learn and grow from what the Pastor tells us on Sundays? How are we feeding ourselves? That’s why I highly encourage all of us to get some PB&J (Praying, Bible readings, & Journaling) done throughout the week. It helps us grow and mature because we begin reading, understanding, and applying God’s Word in our lives. Another thing we can do is join and be part of an ITC/Small Group. It’s a great way to get plugged into our church family and connect with each other on a deeper level. It’s a way we can support each other and pray for one another. Finally, find a place to use your God given talents and gifts to serve in ministry. It’s a great way to allow God to use you and stretch and grow you in ways you couldn’t imagine! So what are we all waiting for?! Let’s do life together! Let’s all grow together and grow God’s family while we’re at it! 😊
-Moses Gaddi
Psalm 116 - 3.4.22
Scripture - What stood out?
PSALM 116:6
The Lord preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Observation - What does it say?
A psalm of King David. This psalm praises God and the impact that He has had in King David’s life. Written in a very personal yet broad and sweeping measure we can almost hear David praying to the Lord as this is written down.
Understanding - What does it mean?
I am such a fan of David’s approach to his relationship with you God. As a king he was leading a nation, and doing his best to draw that nation to you Lord. But as a personal servant to You, I can’t help but admire how much these psalms must have enriched his own walk with you Lord. As a man who meditated on your word day and night it is as if in these Psalms he almost set himself reminders of all that you had done in His life already.
As I journaled today on this passage, reading verse 6 I was reminded of a time in my life when I was brought low yet You saved me Lord. And it just helped me to synchronize or re-synchronize with you once more.
Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?
Thank you for Your word to me this morning Lord. For my life application today I would like to set myself some personal reminders. I would like to write down a time in my life where i was brought low, yet you saved me. Thank you for being my deliverer and my savior. I praise you and I worship you Lord!
In the name of Jesus!
-kenneth lee