Monday, September 10: Psalms 97-99; 1 Corinthians 14 by Pamela

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is   Psalms 97-99; 1 Corinthians 14

This stood out for me from today's OT reading:

5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
    every nation sees his glory.
7 Those who worship idols are disgraced—
    all who brag about their worthless gods—    for every god must bow to him.

Sometimes we can put our faith in something that looks strong (mountains) but is really not. When we put our efforts and strength into something that has no lasting value and can melt away like wax we are wasting our time. One day everyone (every nation) will see God's splendour and be exalted. The things that we thought were of value will pass away. The things we idolized, the things we poured our time, effort, and money into will be on display and we may not be happy with what it reveals about us.

Also this:

O Lord our God, you answered them.
    You were a forgiving God to them,
    but you punished them when they went wrong.

Just like a parent who answers their children and forgives them but also rebukes them and corrects them when they make a mistake, God is our Heavenly FATHER. He loves us and guides us and yet we will still make mistakes. I am thankful that this doesn't mean God will ignore me but will forgive me when I ask.

This stood out from the NT:

9 It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.

Now more than ever, Christians are called to speak the truth in love. As society blurs the line between right and wrong we need to speak the language of the people to show them God's truth in a way that speaks to them. We shouldn't water down the message of salvation but we cannot come at them without love and compassion or the message will not be heard. How do we speak the truth? We have to know the truth and pray for opportunities and for the words to share the message to ensure there is no "language barrier" and the words can be heard and understood.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalms 100-102 1 Corinthians 15:1-28