For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
2 Cor. 8
Reflect upon the generosity of the Macedonian Christians (v. 1-5) and compare it with your own. Where would you like to grow? “They urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.” (2 Cor. 8:4). What a contrast to how it seems that most of us give!! We give begrudgingly, out of a sense of duty or guilt, or only when we think it won’t ‘hurt’ us.
I think this is because we tend to look at giving the wrong way. I know in my head that giving is an opportunity to be involved in God’s work. As Paul stated, it is “the privilege of sharing in this service”. But I am working to truly feel the joy and excitement of being a part of what God is doing. How much am I willing to sacrifice to be an answer to somebody’s prayer; to be God’s instrument through which He meets a genuine need? It sure sounds like storing up treasures where they matter most to me. Why wouldn’t I anxiously want to get on board with that?
1 Sam. 3-4
Take some time to pray the prayer in v. 9-10. “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” Be still and listen. How did the Israelites view the ark? What did it represent to them? I had several thoughts from reading these chapters this morning. I’ll briefly comment on a few of them:
- “Now Samuel did not yet know the LROD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.” (1 Sam. 3:7). This may just mean that God had not started speaking to Samuel as a prophet at this point. But it made me think – what if somebody I know doesn’t recognize God’s voice calling them because nobody, including myself, had told them about God? It seems unlikely in America that anybody would not know something about God, but I pray that my words and actions might reveal who God really is to those I come in contact with.
- Eli obviously struggled, as so many do, with putting God first before his family. God tells us clearly, through the words of both Jesus Himself and of Paul, that we cannot have close fellowship with God and close fellowship with those who are rejecting God at the same time. Even if they are our own flesh and blood, we cannot yoke ourselves with unbelievers. We have been reading about this truth in 2 Corinthians.
- “Then Eli said, ‘He is the LORD; let Him do what is good in His eyes.’” (1 Sam. 3:18b). For all he got wrong, at least Eli understood God’s sovereignty and willingly accepted the consequences of his failures. God will indeed do what is good in His eyes, and it will be the right thing, no matter what we think of it, because He is God.
- “Let us bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Shiloh, so that He may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” (2 Sam. 4:3b). God’s people mistakenly thought that having an object that represented God’s presence with them was the same as having God’s presence with them. This was the same mistake they made in thinking that sacrifices alone would make them right with God. They completely missed the point. God doesn’t come to us because we have the right objects or perform the right rituals. He comes to us when our humbled hearts allow His great mercy to grant us a righteousness that isn’t our own.