Day Eighteen (18)

Reading today: Genesis 38-39, Psalm 18:1-24, Matt 7:15-29, Acts 10-24-48

Genesis 38-39
Another story of deception and lying! Judah does not fulfill his word to Tamar and then Tamar deceives Judah by posing as a prostitute...not that that excuses Judah for his actions...
And so it continues with Potiphar's wife. What can I say about these stories? Humans are tragically deceitful. I wonder if Joseph recognized that his success was solely a result of the Lord's presence with him. It is so easy to take credit for when things go well and then despair of God when things are not going well. How can we not take God for granted? What would make us aware that it is only He, in Christ, who holds all things together?

Psalm 18:1-24
Again, God rescues and protects. v. 18 struck me this morning - "They attacked me at a moment when I was weakest, but the Lord upheld me". How often we say to ourselves, "Why this? Why now?" We are at the end of our rope, but God will uphold us.
And what a picture of God coming to rescue David!! Nostrils flaring, smoke spewing, hail and coals...whew...don't mess!

Matthew 7:15-29
Jesus' teaching cuts to the heart...We will recognize people by their fruit. Actions will always demonstrate what kind of person someone is. But some people are such good deceivers!!
The passage about people prophesying and healing and casting out demons in Jesus' name, and Jesus not knowing them is startling. The day of judgment will be very different than we imagine I think! But, really, how often do we do "good", "Christian" things because they are "good" rather than because God has actually commanded us to do them? Prophesying, casting out demons and performing miracles were all tangible signs of the Kingdom - yet Jesus is saying these people did not obey God by doing them. The apostles did these things...after they were sent by Jesus. What am I doing that is 'good' but God has not commanded me to do?
And of course, the crux of it all...don't just listen, obey! Bill, a pastor at Spring, had an amazing point the other week - the reason we shop from church to church is because all we do is listen...we get tired of hearing what we're hearing about 8 months and then move on to something different...if we actually were doing, we wouldn't be moving very fast!

Acts 10:24-48
Oops...I read this yesterday...