For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Mark 8
What does it mean to you to lose your life for the gospel in order to save it? (v. 34-35) I believe there is significance in the order of events that Mark details in the latter part of this chapter. First, Jesus asked His disciples who they believed Him to be. Peter rightly declared, “You are the Messiah.” (Mark 8:29). Mark follows this with, “He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer…be rejected…be killed and after three days rise again.” (Mark 8:31). This is important because the Jews at the time believed that the promised Messiah would free them from their oppression by conquering Rome. Jesus was not the Messiah anyone was expecting. This becomes clear when Peter, the one who acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, began to rebuke Jesus for saying these things.
Jesus responded by rebuking Peter. He called him out for putting human concerns before those of God and attributed such thinking to Satan. It was then that He told the crowd, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:34b-35). Jesus made this statement to let people know that God’s promise of salvation through His Messiah went far beyond their human expectations.
Jesus’ statement also tells us how we can receive God’s promise of salvation. We now know that Jesus, the Messiah, gave up His human life in order to extend spiritual life to the world. Any who want to receive that life must follow His example by setting aside their human concerns and taking up the concerns of God.
1 Sam. 29-31
How did God spare David from war with his own people? I still don’t know what David’s intentions were in this Philistine battle with the Israelites. However, God did indeed intervene to prevent David from fighting against the LORD’s people. But David asked Achish, “Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” (1 Sam. 29:8b). Did David really desire to fight his own people in favor of the enemies of God? Or was he perhaps relieved for the “out” but was keeping up appearances of loyalty?
Whatever the case, I can’t help but compare David’s situation with that of the people of Judah during their exile in Babylon. God told them to settle in the land of their enemies and seek its welfare. That seems to be what David was doing here. Though he was not conquered and carried away by the Philistines, it is fair to say that he was exiled there for a time. So, while there, he sought their welfare and served the authority who was over him for the time while continuing to honor God with his life.
Ps. 57
David’s psalm moves from asking God for help, to describing his situation, to praise and worship. Try using that same movement as you pray today. David was in a scary situation, no question about it. He was being hunted down. His life and the life of those in his care were on the line. It would have been easy to give in to fear. But David instead drove out fear with praise. “My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.” (Ps. 57:7). We can employ the same strategy whenever we face fear, despair, or anything else that threatens our faith. Perhaps this was the thought behind the song, “Not Today”.
“I’ll sing the night into the morning;
I’ll sing the fear into your praise.
I’ll sing my soul into your presence
Whenever I say Your name.
Let the devil know not today”.