Thursday, April 21 ~ Miriam

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Judges 19-21; Luke 16.

Wow... I hardly know what to say after today's reading.  OK, so the chapters in Judges today were just dreadful to read.  DREADFUL!  It starts off with adultery, then we go on to rape, murder, dismemberment, war, oaths, weeping, mourning, and it all ends with kidnapping!  And the very last verse of the book of Judges says "...everyone did as he saw fit."  That happens a lot in our society today, as well.  "You can't tell me how to live my life."  "It's none of your business what we do in the privacy of our own home."  "If two people love each other, why shouldn't they get married?  What difference does it make to you?"  "Freedom of speech!"  "Freedom of assembly!"  "Who are you to tell me what I'm doing is wrong?"

To a certain extent, those things sound very reasonable.  It is true that each person has to make and be responsible for the consequences of his or her own actions.  I can give someone advice, but it's still their decision to make.  I don't want to know what people all do in the privacy of their own home.  To be truthful, there are homosexual partners in relationships that are better than some heterosexual ones (not that this makes it right - I'm just saying).  People should feel able to express themselves without fear of being imprisoned or otherwise punished...  everyone is entitled to an opinion, although in my opinion, people should be a little careful about the effects the publication of their opinions can have.  Unfortunately, very few people are willing to accept how their actions or their words affect those around them.  They wish to believe that what they say and do affects only them and their lives, and perhaps their immediate family, but the ripple effect is so much more far-reaching than that.  Our society is moving further and further away from the moral standards we believe in, which makes it hard to explain to our children why they should follow those moral standards, and for many of them it's not going to be enough that we say "Because the Bible says so."  In particular, I feel that one of the most important things we need to be careful of is what our children are exposed to and whom our children choose as role models.  There are so many "heroes" out there to choose from, and some of those people have no business being looked up to by anyone.

Moving on to Luke 16:10 - "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."  This is a verse I often think of when I'm feeling like maybe I should skip my tithe this month because we need something.  Sometimes it's really hard to trust God to provide for our needs when I know we don't have this or that and writing that tithe cheque is going to empty my account.  However, I also know that God has provided for us in the past and I tell myself that if I can't be trusted to tithe from what He's given me already, there's no way I'm going to be entrusted with more.

I also noticed that it says "It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law."  This indicates to me, once again, that Jesus came to earth to be the fulfillment of the Law, rather than the abolisher of it.  Every letter of the Law had to be fulfilled in order for any of us to have a prayer of going to heaven.

And last, but not least, the last verse of Luke 16 says "'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"  There are many books, sermons, websites, etc. out there that we can read or listen to that teach us more about the Bible, more about living a Christian life, more about life in the time of Jesus, or the culture of Bible times, more about how to raise our children in a godly way... the list goes on and on.  And while I agree that there is much valuable information in many of those books, it all needs to come back to the Bible.  One of the reasons I believe regular Bible reading is so important is that it will help us to notice when something else we are reading or listening to isn't quite sounding right.  There are many things that sound great and logical and smart, but if they don't line up with the teachings of the Bible, they are false teachings.  The only way we're going to know a false teaching when we hear or read it is if we know what the Bible says.

Well, that's all, folks!  Have a great Thursday!

Tomorrow's passage:  Ruth 1-4; Luke 17:1-19.