Asides

February 1
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Uncategorized Aside

“Jesus stopped and called them. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked.  ‘Lord,’ they answered, ‘we want our sight.’  Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.”  (Matthew 20: 32-34, NIV)

“They received. . . and followed him.” 

Having just received sight, the two men suddenly had a lot of options not available to them in their former condition.  Suddenly, there were new places to go, people to see, and pleasures to experience.  However, in gratitude to the One who had compassion on them — when all others were unable or unwilling to help — after receiving their sight, they used both their new sight and their new insight to follow Jesus.

What is it we do after we have received the one thing we’ve asked of God?  Do we choose to follow Him that we might learn more about Him; to be more like Him?  Or, do we choose to return to our former ways of living and thinking; or do we use our new faculties to follow other “masters”?  – Luther

Reminder: Daily Encouragement will be on break tomorrow, as normal.  Please have a good day in worship, praise, and fellowship.  Lord willing, see you again on Monday!

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January 30
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“I have more understanding then the elders, for I obey your precepts.” (Psalm 119: 100, NIV)

Most people gain knowledge through the so-called “school of hard knocks,” and they obtain understanding through trial and error.   However, there is an easier, faster, and less painful way to acquire the wisdom of the sages: Obedience to God’s word.

It feeds our ego to “be in charge,” but we must resist this Sirens call. None of us are clever enough often enough to consider all of the angles in a decision, but through simple obedience to even the most mundane of God’s commandments, the grace, the peace, and the life we seek will come to us.  – Luther

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January 29
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“Moses also said, ‘You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.’” (Exodus 16: 8, NIV)

The Children of Israel in today’s scripture were not long in the desert after being delivered from slavery in Egypt before they began to grumble (defined as “bitter complaining in a muted or indirect way”) about their life, their lot, and their prospects.  Some began to question the wisdom of the exodus as the historical revisionists amongst them argued that their former life in Egypt really wasn’t that bad.

Had they forgotten the promises of God as quickly as they had forgotten the visible evidence of God’s power in the plagues on the Egyptians, His presence in the miraculous exit from Egypt, and His provision as they entered the desert without the wherewithal for an extended sojourn?  God had not deserted them but, through their increasingly negative attitudes and utterances, they had deserted God.

For the disciple of Jesus, to grumble about our life, our lot, or our prospects — even if the intended objects of our indictment are our leaders, our neighbors, or even our friends —  is, actually, an indictment of God.  The antidote to such negativity is to remember evidence of the power of God in your own life; to remember the presence of God in all of your circumstances (past and present); and to remember the faithful and timely provision of God when all of our resources had been exhausted.  – Luther

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