1. Resolve to 'delight' in the Bible. (Psalm 1:1-6)
2. Resolve to focus on Jesus. (Matthew 1:1-25)
3. Resolve to enjoy God's creation. (Genesis 1:1 - 2:17)
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"Blessed is the man who...delight[s] in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:1-2
How hard is it to follow the rules?! It takes a very certain discipline to obey rules - but taking delight in them? Wow! That seems like an insurmountable task with society's "me me me" culture.
How am I to delight in setting my wants aside?
Isn't that the opposite of how to obtain happiness and success?
If you looked inside any societal magazine today - the answer would be a resounding "yes" but this Psalm makes it very clear: the reward for faithful stewardship of God's plan is prosperity and long term happiness! God knows the path that lies ahead of each of us and He knows which course will give us long term happiness and peace and which will ultimately lead us to "perish".
So how am I - someone so imperfect and flawed - to fit into God's plan? How can I possibly ever keep His laws and follow Him faithfully? The concept seems so overwhelming. Matthew 1 starts out with a long long list of Jesus' genealogy. I'll be the first to admit, I'm the one who glances over this kind of stuff. What do I care who's father was who and how the line goes down? However, if you take a moment to dig into the names presented, you see a hopeful pattern take shape:
- Tamar, an adulteress
- Rahab, a prostitute
- Ruth, a non-Jewish Moabite
- Solomon, conceived in an affair
This is the line God chose his only Son to descend from! It's inspiring to know that if God would cast his only Son into the custody of these sinners - he certainly has no qualms using you or me for His glory!
As we continue through Matthew 1, we see again (as we read in Psalm 1) that the reward for faithfulness in God's direction is prosperity. Despite what must have been a difficult and embarrassing situation (isn't pride so hard to overcome?), Joseph faithfully obeyed God's direction and was rewarded with a loving marriage and the blessing of raising Jesus Christ!
It is difficult to remember, especially in the midst of anger, hurt, fear, frustration, to trust that God has a plan for us. It helps me to remember that God can see the entire picture - from here to eternity. My feeble human mind can only see the now (and sometimes I don't remember those details very clearly!).
It's hard to trust that an unseen, all supreme being is looking out for someone as undeserving as me. There are hundreds upon thousands of other people that are more deserving of his attention and direction than I am - right? Our third reading paints a different picture - we are made in his image! And when God finished his creations - he looked and said "It is good." That means you. You are perfectly created and good. An interesting tidbit that BiOY put in their summary was how casually Genesis 1:16 throws in "and the stars" as if God created the stars as a last minute thought and with a simple command, they existed. There are billions and billions of stars - in just our galaxy alone. And we have yet to exact how many galaxies may be out there. How encouraging! That God would so casually create billions and billions of complex chemical compounds that give off extraordinary beautiful light - and yet he specifically created me. He specifically created you. Before you were even in the womb - God created you with a specific plan in mind. Can you feel the love?!
It's hard to trust that an unseen, all supreme being is looking out for someone as undeserving as me. There are hundreds upon thousands of other people that are more deserving of his attention and direction than I am - right? Our third reading paints a different picture - we are made in his image! And when God finished his creations - he looked and said "It is good." That means you. You are perfectly created and good. An interesting tidbit that BiOY put in their summary was how casually Genesis 1:16 throws in "and the stars" as if God created the stars as a last minute thought and with a simple command, they existed. There are billions and billions of stars - in just our galaxy alone. And we have yet to exact how many galaxies may be out there. How encouraging! That God would so casually create billions and billions of complex chemical compounds that give off extraordinary beautiful light - and yet he specifically created me. He specifically created you. Before you were even in the womb - God created you with a specific plan in mind. Can you feel the love?!
