bible – Alpha & Omega

Resolution: “Delight In The Word”

With the new year approaching, I am certain that come the 1st of January, gyms across the nation will have an increase in their total memberships. Due to the increase of members, they will also need to bring in extra equipment to meet need of the sudden surge of traffic. The place will be packed… and by the 7th of January, they will have moved out all the extra equipment and most of the traffic would have dwindled… as most people will have given up their New Year’s resolutions.

Not only will this happen at your local gyms, but also in many different places, people will most definitely have given up their resolutions to get fit, to lose weight, to stop bad habits, to get out of debt. There is nothing wrong with making these common New Year’s resolutions. Of course, all of us make resolutions that we fail to keep.

The good news is that each year is an opportunity for a fresh start. But then so is each week. Every Sunday is the first day of the week… a new beginning. Actually, every day is an opportunity for a new beginning.

The passage for today tells us something about new beginnings and new opportunities, and suggests some possible New Year’s resolutions.

Scripture: Psalms 1:1-6

1) Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take 2) or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3) That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers. 4) Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5) Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6) For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

‘Delight’ in the Word

If you are beginning the journey to read the Bible this year, ‘Delight’ in the Bible, and find encouragement in the words that Psalm 1 has for you.

The promise is that if you ‘delight’ in God’s Word and ‘meditate’ on Scripture ‘day and night’ (v.2, MSG), your life will be blessed. Happiness comes from what happens to you. Blessing is what happens to you through knowing God and meditating on his words.

God promises you fruitfulness (‘which yields its fruit in season’, v.3b), vitality (‘whose leaves do not wither’, v.3c) and prosperity (‘whatever they do prospers’, v.3d), though not necessarily material prosperity!

This message is backed up by a glance across at the ultimate fate of ‘the wicked’. The psalmist does not try to pretend that the wicked don’t sometimes prosper. He simply reminds us of the transitory nature of their prosperity – ‘they are like chaff that the wind blows away… [they] will perish’ (v.4,6).

The key to lasting, and ultimately eternal, fruitfulness and vitality lies in your relationship with God. As you seek to follow ‘the way of the righteous’, you are assured that the Lord himself will watch over you (v.6).

Prayer

“Lord, thank you for your wonderful promises as I resolve to make a regular habit of delighting in your word and meditating on it. Amen.”

Draw Near

The Bible tells us, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8a)

This promise is both heartening and encouraging. It also reminds us of the responsibility we have in our relationship to God.

The phrase, “draw near,” means, very simply, to approach or get close to a thing. To draw near to God, means then, to get close to God. If you get close to God, James is saying, God Himself will come to be close to you.

That seems a bit redundant at first. If you get closer to someone or something, of course they are going to naturally be closer to you as well, but James is describing a spiritual relationship, not a physical proximity.

We might think of the Parable of the Prodigal Son and of the son’s resolve in that parable to reunite with his father. Leaving the far distant country he had sought to make a home in, he returns to the house of his father. As he gets closer to the house, his father see’s him from a long way off, and rather than waiting for the son to close the full distance, the father runs from his place to greet the son and embrace him (cf. Luke 15:11-32). The son sought to draw near to his father, and the father in turn drew near to Him.

This is God’s desire.

He wants us to come to Him. But as we begin that journey, we should not be imagining God waiting at the end of the road, toe tapping impatiently to see us get where we need to be. Rather, God is, metaphorically speaking, rushing to meet those who are sincerely drawing near to Him.

Which raises the question: what does it mean to draw near to God? How do we do such a thing in practice? What is the practical application of the metaphor?

We sometimes speak of drawing near to God in worship, in prayer, in song, or in His word. The Bible does tell us to approach the throne of God with boldness, and the context and meaning of the statement does seem to indicate prayer and worship (Hebrews 4:16). We approach the throne of God to petition Him and to praise Him.

But there are reasons to think that James may have something different in mind when he tells us to draw near to God in James 4:8. For one thing there is the broader context of the statement.

The fuller passage tells us, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8; ESV) James also says, “Submit yourselves, therefore to God,” and, “Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you.” (James 4:7a, 10)

Again, James’ instruction is reminiscent of the aforementioned parable taught by Jesus. The prodigal son had wandered far from where he should have been. He was reduced and destitute, envying pigs and longing for a better state. Jesus says concerning this young man, “he came to himself.” (Luke 15:17) He recognized the folly of his situation, and resolved to change it. He turned himself around and set off for home, humble, penitent, and recognizing his error.

James is telling us that if we want to draw near to God, this is what we too need to be doing. We need to desire clean hands and a clean heart. We have to seek for purity in our lives. We must humble ourselves before God. In short, we need to repent.

Without repentance, there is no salvation (cf. Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38). If we cannot admit our own sins, shortcomings and errors, and having admitted them, to resolve to leave them behind, casting them away (cf. Hebrews 12:1), we cannot draw near to God. It is sin that separates us from God (cf. Isaiah 59:2). If we want to be close to God, and have that relationship with God, then we have to get rid of the very thing that is putting distance between us.

But we should never think that God is disinterested in our attempts, requiring us to make the journey alone. If we have a penitent heart, God is rushing to meet us, to forgive us, and to welcome us home. He is the father of the Parable, moved with emotion, love, sorrow, and joy to close the gap between himself and the penitent, humbled son. He has shown this to us through the sacrifice of Jesus: His willingness to do what it takes to forgive us.

All it takes on our part is a step. A humble step in the right direction, a willingness to ask, “what must I do,” and then the resolve to obey (Acts 2:37-38).

Remember Not The Former Things

Hardship and suffering are stranger to no one after the year 2020. Life has never felt more fleeting than during the moments where a loved one is lost. Suffering is also not a stranger to Scripture. The people of Israel certainly knew about suffering, but what was constant was that God never abandoned them.

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” – Isaiah 43:18-19

This passage contains words from God to the Israelites as they were ending their exile in Babylon. Although they sinned, God was showing them that there is a special place for hope in the restorative work he had in store. The Israelites knew all about the wilderness and the desert, lots of tough history to recount for them there. At the same time, they also knew what salvation from the Lord looked like. God was coming again to save his people from oppression by their enemies that they had deserved for their unfaithfulness. Still God says remember not the former things… He saves Israel and you and I benefit from this historic moment.

God’s relationship to Israel is often a mirror of his relationship with us. We become oppressed by sin or hardship and we search for relief every chance we get. God’s view of suffering is different than ours. He is always “doing a new thing”- a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. As believers our normal should be to perceive the new things God is doing. The revival that can spring forth at any moment is up to the Lord and as a result our faith is intensified through every experience.

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior, rest. Allow Scripture to refresh your spirit and dwell on the Lord’s faithfulness. God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He will never abandon us.

-Eva Topete (Youth Leader)

Source of Truth & Joy

“As the Father has loved me, so have I Ioved you. Abide in my love” says Jesus (John 15:9).

Why would anyone want to abide in Jesus’ love?

Right now, it seems like what we need to do is stay home, be fed information through our media outlets and make sure to wear our masks if we must go out. Although we certainly should take care of our bodies as best as we can, none of the measures above will care for our minds, hearts and souls that also very much require it.

Believers abide in Jesus’ love because only through this attachment, do we get access to his peace and an understanding of God’s view of life, which is what our souls long for. The view where we are renewed daily by the grace that has been given through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. The challenges we face every passing day are our biggest clue that life is more than our careers, friends, or even families. Jesus gives love that is unlike any other because it comes from the creator of the universe (John 15:9). It is boundless and encompasses every possible happy moment or tragedy this world can throw at us. Humans, alike other creatures, need love to thrive. Some of us have experienced love through our families and some of us have not. God offers us a greater love that will never let us down. This is new to us; we don’t understand it. The good thing is we don’t have to. We can know God without knowing every secret of the world (Isa. 55:8, Job 38).

If you have accepted Jesus in your heart as your Lord and savior, I encourage you to abide in Jesus’ love fervently. From one brother in Christ to another- let us lean on Jesus as our source for truth and joy no matter the times, while understanding that this requires our commitment and is not a magical formula to help suppress our struggles and fears (John 15:1-8). Let us press on because we are saved and loved with a love greater than we can imagine.

-Eva Topete (Youth Ministry Leader)