Superior Strength

 

Genesis 6:22 (NRSVue) - Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

The second half of Genesis 6 tells of how Noah pleased God.

Scripture reminds us that Noah was a righteous man.

It was in this way that he pleased God.

It was because of his righteousness that God desired to save Noah and his family.

So, He asked Noah to build an ark to His exact specification.

He also asked Noah to bring two of every kind of animal aboard.

And Noah, being a righteous man, set about this monumental task.

Centuries later, Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount.

This can be found in Matthew chapters 5 through 7.

Some view these words as mere suggestions.

Still others view these words as a reminder of just how sinful we are.

They are far more than either.

In these words, Christ tells us how we are to live our lives.

For example, Jesus explains the difference between hearers and doers beginning with this verse. 

Matthew 7:24 (NRSVue) - “Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

It is not sufficient merely to hear the words of Christ, we must act on them.

The wise man’s house withstood a flood.

Noah and his family were also saved from a flood.

That is because they relied upon God’s strength as opposed to their own.

And we would be wise to do the same.

Sometimes our journeys seem difficult.

But we can get past the difficulties when we rely on God’s strength.

We can get through them when we realize that we do not travel alone.

And we can always call upon God to help us live in His word.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, May 3, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, May 10, 2024

Into the Light

 

Isaiah 42:16 (NRSVue) - I will lead the blind by a road they do not know; by paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them.

The recent eclipse made headlines.

I happened to live in what scientists called “the path of totality.”

It was most interesting to see midday grow dark for a few minutes.

But it would be a different matter if the phenomenon were unknown.

How frightening it would be not knowing whether the sun would return.

But, figuratively speaking, some live in darkness. 

Isaiah 42 contains a song of praise to the Lord.

And just as the sun returned to dispel the daytime darkness, so the Lord turns darkness into light.

In Luke 24, two followers of Jesus encountered the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus.

As they walked, they still did not recognize Him.

When they arrived at their destination, they invited Him in.

It was then that Jesus revealed Himself.

Luke 24:30-31 (NRSVue) - When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight.

Even though Easter Sunday has passed, we are still in the Easter season.

This reminds us, as do these passages of Scripture, that the risen Christ dispels the darkness in our lives.

Each day is a new day.

Each day is a personal gift.

It is a gift we are meant to share with those who still live in darkness.

By reflecting the light of Jesus into their lives, we can coax them out of their darkness.

They can then step into the direct light of His love and experience a new day with Him.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, April 19, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, April 26, 2024