Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
In Psalm 16, verses 7-9, we read of the Psalmist’s response to the Lord. He blesses the Lord, he has set the Lord before him. The Psalmist makes a conscious effort to give honor to God, to remember the Lord’s actions and character. This should be the attitude of every Christian. We who claim that God has redeemed us in the person and work of Jesus should make every effort to be not only aware of, but also thankful for, God’s character, revealed in His Word.
A recent study indicated that confessional Lutherans, particularly pastors, tend to be very good with their systematic theology, with commenting on church polity, and make observations about the way the Christian faith is articulated. However, they are relatively weaker in actual use of the Bible. Passages which speak to the concerns they can articulate in their theology don’t readily come to mind. Some will say that the Bible doesn’t speak to all the issues of our time and culture, though it does. It’s a matter of looking adequately at the category of thought and identifying how the Scripture views a current issue.
Like the Psalmist, we need to recall what the Lord has said. Are we confronted by unbelief? Is it a matter of selfishness? Maybe we or others we know are trying to deal with our identity, or with loss, disappointment, pain, or fear of the future. If we think about it, nearly every problem in our society fits into one or more of those seven categories. If not, there are many others we can find in the Scripture. And as we understand what the Lord has said about His character and ours, and how we would deal with the troubles in our world, we will be better equipped to rejoice and take confidence in the identity we have in Christ. Then our heart is able to instruct us. Then we can look to him in hope, day or night.
May Christians everywhere be aware of the riches found in God’s Word!
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