Category: Bible (Page 9 of 353)

Famine looms large in the Bible. In one situation, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of want. Joseph rose to power as the king’s right hand man, charged with planning for the impending disaster. Thanks to God’s placement of Joseph in this strategic position, he saved Egypt, his own family and in doing so, the future nation of Israel.

I never worry about getting enough to eat. The prices of eggs are sky-high right now, but I can afford expensive eggs. I’m way more likely to suffer from overeating than starvation. Famine remains a real threat in parts of our world, however, with warfare as a primary cause. In Egypt the famine grew so widespread that neighboring lands suffered as well. People wasted away, grew sick, and died.

In our western society famines rarely arise from the absence of food. In this era of plenty, people suffer instead from loneliness. A dearth of goodwill, coupled with a shortage of forgiveness, stalks our land. Harsh words bloom in our discourses. We endure fear and hopelessness. People waste away, grow sick, and die.

Jesus spoke to breaking such a famine. When asked about the most important commandment to follow, Jesus replied, The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Many of us carry round bellies covering emaciated hearts. As I ask the Holy Spirit to empower me, to apply these words of Jesus to my day to day living, the Lord begins to fatten my soul.

Joseph fed the world with grain stored in vast warehouses. These are an image of the storehouses of the Lord. A life spent following the way of Jesus opens their doors, bringing sustenance to our hope-starved world.

Genesis 41 & Mark 12

Photo by Jodi Mucha

Jesus spoke passionately to his followers about returning after his death and resurrection. He pointed to a future day when the sun and moon go dark, stars fall from the sky and the heavens shake like a leaf. In the midst of the cataclysm, we’ll see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with massive power and glory.

But when? Jesus said, concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, stay awake. For you do not know when the time will come.

After 2,000 years, it’s hard to stay awake.

Jesus’s disciples took this promise seriously, as have saints ever since. But I find it hard to consider. After so long, with no sign of Jesus, why should I look to the clouds?

I watch not expectantly, but hopefully. When he does come, Jesus will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. On that day the Lord will gather his Church from far-flung lands, and a true era of peace will begin.

If Jesus returns in my lifetime I’ll be as surprised as if I woke up with my head glued to the carpet. But surprise will quickly turn to amazement and joy. While I don’t think about this teaching in my day-to-day, I still eagerly anticipate its moment of fulfillment.

Mark 13:24-37

Photo by Benjamin Salvatore

A engineer friend of mine worked for years constructing plants for the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. Quality control is paramount. The fabrication process demands multiple levels of refinement and purification as raw materials coalesce into compounds for medicinal use. Physicians and patients expect the highest level of quality, and anything less results in scandal.

In contrast, the words we hear and use every day undergo no refinement at all. I’m guilty of spouting off thoughts better left unsaid again and again. I’m not alone, as opening up a newsfeed or social media stream clearly demonstrates.

David wrote about the braggarts and blowhards he experienced. Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?”

Then he looked upward: The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.

The opinions we hear and the arguments we read rarely carry the sagacity necessary for a flourishing life. Often the loudest voice carries the day, and social media loves a good mob. Fortunately, a better source of wisdom exists.

The Words of the Lord are worthy of ingesting. Trust the the refinement process of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures come to us wholesome, pure, and free from contamination. No better truths exist to heal our minds and souls, and move us to serve those around us.

Psalm 12

Photo by National Cancer Institute

A dog lopes by our house every morning, 7:30 am, up to a park where she plays fetch with her owner. Even in bitter cold the routine holds. The dog loves two things, eating and chasing balls (or rabbits). A romp outside, followed by breakfast, satisfies both.

That dog’s got a good life. Her desires are satisfied day after day, fulfilled by her faithful owner. But ultimately we can trace satisfaction of desire back to the Lord. David wrote these lines:

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.

God’s mercy extends over all he has made. He satisfies the desire of each and every creature, including the dog down the street. Who cares about a dog’s desires? Along with her owner, apparently the Lord does as well.

Every good thing that dog experiences comes from the hand of God. Every bit of food and frolic the myriad of dogs in my neighborhood enjoy descends from their gracious Creator. I suppose this truth holds even for cats.

I have far more complex desires than my neighbor’s dog. Yet the Lord satisfies mine as well. Part of that satisfaction involves granting some (I enjoy a meal when I’m hungry). But another part of the process necessitates my wrestling with desires, struggling to either wait on their fulfillment, or yielding to the wisdom of holding them back.

Either way, ultimate satisfaction is found not in gratifying my appetites, but in the One who fulfills the desire of my soul. Every good thing I have comes from the hand of our gracious and merciful God. With that in mind, it’s easier to find satisfaction, which might be as simple as a romp in the park followed by breakfast.

Psalm 145:8,9&16

Photo by Kameron Kincade