Psalm 40 Mark 4 Numbers 27
As we travel through Lent and the
examination of our life and how well it reflects Jesus today’s song is a great
reminder how we should travel through life. Praising God because he is the rock
on which we build our faith and the foundation of our trust. In those times
life feels overwhelming when we know that God is still hearing our cries even
when they are too deep for words.
This song is full of praise and
while still recognizing the challenges praising the one who David trusts and
who he still tries to lift up in leading his people. It is a reminder that even
when we fail God is waiting for us to turn back to him and know we will be
received with open arms. God is always pleased with those that return to his
ways and those that lead us there. David reminds us it is our job to tell the
story that God is teaching us as we wait patiently for his will to unfold.
David calls God to hold
accountable those that would seek to silence him and destroy his life. It is
not our job to hold those that practice evil accountable. That role belongs to
God alone and our job is to trust that His judgement will be fair and we can
worry about what we are doing to reflect God to the world around us.
In the fourth chapter of Mark, we
find Jesus and his disciples along the Sea of Galilee where he is teaching in
parables, or stories, that illustrate the Kingdom of God. The key to each of these
stories is to realize that they are meant to show us the Kingdom of God in our
midst. Jesus tells the disciples that those that choose not to believe in him
as the messiah will never be able to understand how to apply them to life. We
all make a decision on what we are going to believe about Jesus. Those that
truly believe will always hear the stories of and understand they are meant to
teach us how to live together.
The chapter ends with a story of
the Jesus and the disciples being in a boat, the winds whipping up, the
disciples being afraid, crying out to Jesus accusing him of not caring. Jesus first
calms the storm then turns asks why they were afraid and if they still didn’t believe
in him. First, we should think about using the same technique that he has just
told us that Jesus used to teach. He tells a story that can be applied for all
time to learn what it means to have faith in Jesus. Jesus is with them, they
see him as not caring, they demand action and accuse him of not caring because
they are afraid of the raging storm around them. How often are we just like
that, say we believe Jesus is always with us, but when the storms of life surround
us cry out in fear and accuse God of not caring about us?
In Numbers 4 the rules of inheritance
are modified to meet the needs of the people and bring justice. God’s desire is
that leaders learn to treat people with justice and fairness.
Then Moses is told that his time
on earth is ended. That he will no longer lead the people and will join his
brother, Aaron, gathered to his people. What seems like a simple sin has come
to have great costs.
Moses asks God to appoint a new
leader to replace him that will follow God and lead the people in His ways wherever
God is about to take them. God responds telling Moses to anoint Joshua to be
the next leader of the people as they prepare to enter the promised land.
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