For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
1 Cor. 13
Insert your name instead of the word “love” in v. 4-7. Does that describe you? Ask God to grow your love in specific, practical ways. I have never really paid attention to the fact that this famous, so-called “love chapter” is a continuation of Paul’s discussion about Spiritual gifts and unity among believers, the body of Christ. And it goes back to what I said yesterday. The gifts are pointless if we don’t use them to serve God through serving others. Because that, Paul says, is what love is. Love sets self aside to honor God. We will not always need these gifts of the Spirit because one day, if we hold fast in love, we will be made complete, both as individuals and as one unified body.
Judges 5-6
Describe Gideon’s character, his relationship with God, and his relationships with his neighbors. Why did God choose him? Before God sent Gideon out to overthrow the Midianites, He had another task for him. He had to alter an altar. It’s actually pretty cool what God had Gideon do.
With the exception of the main altar in the temple, when Israel built altars to God, they were to build them with unworked stones. I’m thinking that altars for the non-gods were works of fine craftsmanship. I believe the uncut stone requirement differentiated that the altar was of God, not of man. When God had Gideon tear down the altar of Baal, He had him “build a proper kind of altar” (Jud. 5:26a) in its place. He then had Gideon use the wooden token of Asherah, the goddess of fertility, as fuel for the burnt offering made on the new altar. How’s that for a statement?!
What I don’t get, though, is that this little worship center evidently belonged to Gideon’s father, even though they were the weakest clan in Manasseh. Thinking on that, perhaps Joash built it in order to gain status for his family. That, to me, adds even more impact to God’s statement in the alteration of this altar. In any case, I would think Joash would be the angriest about having his altar torn down. But it was Joash who stood up to the townspeople over the issue. He said, “If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” (Jud. 5:31b). It seems to me that Joash might have gotten God’s point.
Ps. 46
Pray this prayer, and then be still for several moments and know that He is God. I have always loved Psalm 46:10. “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’”. But I’m seeing it in a new dimension this morning. God isn’t just saying “Be still” here. He is saying that we need to be still even when – especially when – the world is falling apart around us. That hits hard right now, the world being in the state that it’s currently in. But this Psalm affirms what we know to be true about God. And it says of the place where God dwells, “God is within her, she will not fall” (Ps. 46:5a). Well guess what? This God, who makes wars cease, dwells in us.