Monday, August 15, 2022

 

Monday, August 15, 2022


Psalm 104:1-25

2 Chronicles 28:16-29:11

Romans 11:13-24


Holy Day: Mary, mother of our Lord


Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, how great you are!


The lectionary has set only part of this psalm, but I would encourage you to finish it off. There are only a few more verses to go, and you will then have the whole lot in context as one song. Reflecting on these words make the actions and conclusions of poor King Ahaz seem even more bizarre. He turned from God, lost everything, and decided to double down and follow the gods of those who had taken it all from him. His was an ignominious passing, setting the scene for his son Hezekiah and the revival of true religion in the ancient kingdom.


Humility is the name of the game here. We see this attitude in the Persons of God: Jesus, God the Son, humbled Himself and exchanged the glory He had in the spiritual realm for the shame of the cross. Likewise the Holy Spirit, quite happy to stay in the background, travels with us and encourages us on to a greater place of holiness. Paul reminds his non-Jew readers to likewise stay humble; we received the promises of old purely out of the goodness of God's heart. Don't lord it over anyone. Particularly not the Jews. Because, as God logic works, bringing the Jews back to Jesus will be an even bigger expression of free grace than including us non-Jews in the first place. When it comes to God, there is always something bigger and better. Being humble keeps our spiritual senses open to see it when it happens.



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