Psalm 122:9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good. Spock, on Star Trek, always believed that the good of the many outweighed the good of the one. Today that’s a somewhat shocking thought; however, he’s probably right. And he’s probably closer to the truth, too. That’s not the point I wanted to make today though. I thought this was a good verse for me to remember this year (and hereafter). I seek the good of others, not for my own sake, but for the sake of the house (family) of God. When I seek the good of others (even my enemies) it blesses everyone around me. I heard Skip Moen say that the part in the Bible where it says to pray for your enemies and thereby heap burning coals on their head actually means that you will heap blessings on their head. The Hebrew pictograph for blessing literally shows “flames on the head.” I think this is a similar concept. It’s a good thing to remember as I sort out issues with my past job and endeavor to excel at my present job.
Psalm 119: You are good and do good; Teach me Your statutes. This verse is another reminder of why I need to learn to read Hebrew. In the Blue Letter Bible, it uses the word towb for “You are good” and for “do good.” I can’t tell from looking at the actual Hebrew, whether the word towb is actually repeated (which would mean the author is emphasizing this particular point) or not. And there’s a word in the phrase that doesn’t correspond to any of the words given in the concordance, so I don’t really have any idea what it means. Sigh. Anyway, towb is good, right, pleasant, benign, appropriate. And God is these things. These things aren’t a part of Him, they are Him. Take them away, and God ceases to be. Take away God, and towb ceases to be. Therefore, every thing He does is also good… including His Torah, His statutes. And speaking of statutes… The word “to teach” is lamad which means to exercise in, train in (it’s an active learning process, not a head-knowledge thing). And statutes (choq) means: 1) statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due a) prescribed task b) prescribed portion c) action prescribed (for oneself), resolve d) prescribed due e) prescribed limit, boundary f) enactment, decree, ordinance 1) specific decree 2) law in general g) enactments, statutes 1) conditions 2) enactments 3) decrees 4) civil enactments prescribed by God Notice some familiar things in there? Like portion, decrees? David asks to practice, to train in God’s specific laws, civil enactments, prescribed boundaries. We think of these things as bad and limiting to our happiness and “freedom,” but God and goodness cannot be separated, and His statutes are good, too. Learning to live by them takes practice. God doesn’t sit us down in a celestial classroom and dump knowledge into our brains. But, He did give us His words. And He does provide hands-on training. The question becomes, “Am I willing to learn?” Remember Isaiah, who prophesied, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying “This is the way walk in it” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.” (Is. 30:21) Ready to walk?
Romans 7:19 When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. This sounds like Paul was having one of those days where no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t do it right. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to try to explain these concepts for the first time. Although, since it’s God-inspired it might not have been as hard as I think. Regardless of how it was written, this is one of those passages that people read, and then reread, and then scratch their head and reread, to try and get the point. The Blue Letter Bible actually puts each verse on its own line, which is annoying sometimes, but in this case is really helpful because I can read each verse of this sometimes confusing passage individually, helping me make more sense of it. In some ways it sounds like Paul’s saying, “It’s not my fault!” But he clearly acknowledges his sinful nature’s role in poor decision making. Heaven knows I feel this way sometimes, when everything I do seems to be the wrong thing… or when I know what the right thing to do is, but don’t do it. For example, where I work it’s very easy to speak negatively about things, and even though I know that’s not the right thing to do, I often get sucked into that negativity because of my frustration with things. So, I know the right thing to do, but don’t do it. Sigh. Thankfully, God is merciful and oh, so patient! So, every time I mess up (again) He forgives me, and I can try again.
Jeremiah 32:38-42 They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and mind to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, promising not to stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will rejoice in doing good to them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land. Just as I have sent all these calamities upon them, so I will do all the good I have promised them. I, the Lord, have spoken! I love this passage! It’s been a favorite for years. The promises here are so beautiful! They’re verses I claim for my family. It reminds me that despite the hardship that goes on, God will one day bring good. It reminds me, too, that He puts a desire in our hearts to worship Him. It’s not something I make happen, but I respond and worship Him, never leaving His side. It’s also cool to note that God rejoices in doing good to us. He likes doing things that are good! Sometimes I tend to think of God as a God of lessons, who is always bringing difficulty to me so that I learn something. It’s easy to remember He’s the God of Justice. But it’s not as easy to remember that He likes to see His children smile. For example, there are weeks where it seems like Gavin pushes the envelope over and over and over, constantly disobeying us. And that’s hard because I hate to discipline him, because I don’t like to see him upset. But, I love to do things that make him happy and make him smile and laugh. Whether it’s playing toss with a balloon, chasing him around the living room, or snuggling with him on the couch while we read or watch Veggie Tales, it’s awesome and I rejoice in those times. And, it helps me to think of God kind of like that. He promises good, and He is faithful to bring it again. He doesn’t just allow or bring calamity and difficult situations. He also brings good and restoration.