READING FOR NOVEMBER 18, 2024: DEUTERONOMY 11, 1 PETER 5, PSALM 119:33-40 DEUTERONOMY 11 Moses apparently connects the need for Israel to love and obey God with the fact that their younger generation did not experience either the miracles God performed on Israel’s behalf, or the discipline God administered upon Israel for their disobedience. Might it be that should the older generation not model love toward and obedience to God, then the younger generation would not have the experiential memory to know the consequences of their actions. Thus, they might fall away from God. Does this still happen today? Of course, each person is responsible for his/her own relationship with God. But it is also true that our modeling of the Christian faith is an important factor in the faith or lack of faith formation of our children and grandchildren. Verses 18-21 could hardly be clearer: “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.”
Here are some findings from a study published in 2017 by Oxford University Press that took place over four decades: “Closeness to fathers matters more than closeness to mothers in religious transmission. Among Evangelical fathers, there is a 25-point difference in [the professed faith] similarity [between parent- child] for children who feel emotionally close to fathers compared to those who are not close; for Evangelical mothers the difference is just 1 percentage point. A similar pattern exists for Mainline and Catholics.”
Even a 25% improvement, though, is far short of certainty. There is nothing to be gained in blaming ourselves for the poor choices our children have made with their freewill. Is it too late to influence our adult children and grandchildren if they do not claim to be followers of Jesus today? Pastor Ray Pritchard has written specifically on this topic. He suggests that we pray these three scriptures for the prodigal children in our lives:
- “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23).
- “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will” (Prov. 21:1).
- “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18).
As we pray fervently and wait patiently, perhaps we will share the experience of the father of the prodigal son in Luke 15:20: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” For those attending Yorktown Methodist Church, ask Arlene Applegate about her experience. The adult prodigal can return to faith.
READING FOR NOVEMBER 18, 2024 CONTINUED: 1 PETER 5, PSALM 119:33-40 1 PETER 5 The first four verses are directed to the ruling elders. Peter tells them to exercise oversight willingly, not begrudgingly. Yet, elder leadership needs to model Christian character, not prideful authoritarianism. The reward for this work will be given when Christ returns. Younger men are to submit to the elders’ leadership and intentionally practice humility. A good reminder for all of us is that God, Himself, opposes those who are proud. He will exalt only the humble and only in His time. Much of Peter’s letter assumes readers accept that this earthly life is not the end of the story. Unless there is a heavenly life after this life on earth, Peter’s admonitions would not seem fair to obedient believers. God is more than fair to us!
Verse seven evokes an image of throwing our internal worries of the present and future on Christ. In fact, that would be an excellent mental picture to contemplate. Worried about health, relationships, or the elections? Envision taking each item and mentally throwing it away to Jesus, our divine anxiety-disposer. He will handle each one for us. That’s the good news; the bad news is that we have an enemy, the devil, who is like a roaring lion. But the best news is that God is stronger. We can resist if we stand firm in our faith. Here again, Peter’s counsel resembles James. As we humble ourselves under God (vs. 6), we can resist the devil (vs. 9) in the strength of God (vs. 10). Note in verse 13, Peter mentions an especially close relationship with Mark. Many New Testament scholars believe that the Gospel of Mark represents Peter’s eyewitness account of Jesus’s life conveyed to Mark. A great team.
PSALM 119:33-40 As with the previous section of this chapter, the Psalmist asks God to teach him His word so that he could obey it and even delight in it. This brings to mind the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit who indwells each Christian today. John 14:26 states, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things.” Jesus says this in John 15:25: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” Then again in John 16:12-15: “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” Thus, when we read the Bible, we can truly be taught by God, Himself, when we read it in the power of the Holy Spirit: “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph.6:17).
These verses also show what Spirit-illumined Bible reading helps avoid: selfishness, worthless things, and disgrace. O how we need the Bible constantly to give our few days on earth purpose. May we fully heed this essential resource as we study the Bible together.
