Thursday, March 27

THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2014

Deuteronomy 7:1–8:20

Luke 7:36–8:3

Psalm 69:1–18

Proverbs 12:1

 

 

Upon reflection, the Deuteronomy passages and Luke’s account of the sinful woman’s anointing of Jesus pulled together some common themes:

 

 

1.       We must make efforts to remember the depth of the grace we have received.

 

“A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them….

 

“[Jesus speaking] ‘Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little….  Your sins are forgiven.’” (Luke 7:3,38,47,48)

 

The sinful woman’s anointing of Jesus pours directly from her heart.  The tears and perfume she offers represent her joy offering of love.  She recognizes the immensity of Jesus’s love and the power of His healing and forgiveness and responds in kind.  Her rescue demanded a response of thanksgiving.

 

As with many spiritual principles, dogs demonstrate this concept beautifully.  Please find one such video of the gratitude of the redeemed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ol7ojcRU8).  In the video, a shepherd mix finds himself trapped in a Romanian river.  While he tries to scratch his way above the concrete, he cannot save himself.  Two Good Samaritans came to his rescue, but the dog initially froze with fear, not wanting to return to the icy waters.  The rescuers then picked the dog by his collar or the scruff of his neck to bring him to safety, allowing the dog to avoid the freezing water and to return to dry land.  The dog responded enthusiastically with joy and gratitude.  A beautiful picture of the redeemed!

 

As Moses explains, however, our hearts may grow cold.  For this reason, the Book of Deuteronomy urges the people to recall God’s faithfulness and to store this treasure in their hearts.  We practice this same idea through reading God’s Word frequently, seeking God’s face in prayer, and obeying His commands in our daily lives.

 

 

2.       Prosperity may stoke our pride and draw us away from our loving Father.

 

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.  Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws, and his decrees that I am giving you this day.” (Deuteronomy 8:10,11)

 

Many times, we allow success to “go to our heads,” believing that some inherent greatness in us has brought us this good fortune.  Instead, we must recall that God has created every grounds for success in blessing us with intelligence, talents, and positive circumstances.  As the reading that continues in Deuteronomy 9 and 10 explains, God had not brought the Israelites into the land and given over the other nations because of the Israelites’ righteousness.  Rather, God had loved His people and desired to protect them from these sinful peoples by destroying the other nations for their rebelliousness.

 

As Pastor Scott discussed last week, maintaining the attitude of gratitude – for our redemption, our freedom in Christ, His presence with us, and the loving family and friends we know – will center our hearts to love and serve God.  How may you express your thankfulness this very moment?  In what ways does God deserve praise for His love and Presence in your life?

 

 

Lord Jesus, thank You for rescuing us from our sinfulness.  We are utterly lost without You.  You have redeemed us and called us Your own, and we are forever grateful.  Lord, bring to mind how we may celebrate Your goodness in our lives today.  Give us hearts of gratitude in spite of the jadedness and temporal thinking that surrounds us.  Expand our vision of Your hand in our lives and our world.  Pour out a fresh revelation of Your character in our home communities so that more people may rejoice in the salvation that You provide.  In Your Name, amen.

 

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