May 5th, 20

MAY 5,  RE-INHABITED

Our reading today are II Samuel 10, I Chronicles 20, Psalm 20, and Matthew 22.  We are reading through the New Living Translation.

They set a trap but the trap they set sprung on them.  They came to trap Jesus with their questions. But their questions merely revealed that they didn’t understand the Scriptures or the power of God.  That’s what Jesus told them.  

“Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. (Mt 22:29 NLT)

They were badly mistaken because to know the Scripture and to know the power of God is to know Jesus and the power of his resurrection. You can learn all about the Bible, and even have the whole thing memorized, but if you are not looking at the Bible through the person of Jesus, then you will be badly mistaken, too. You can be very religious and pious and not have the power to love God or others.  That power is found only in Jesus.  God offers us both of these things.  He offers us knowledge and insight into the Scriptures, and he offers us the power to live a new quality of life.  We no longer need to pose our way before God and others.  Rather we are given a new life where we can experience God’s love ourselves.  When we look at the Bible through the lens of Jesus we see that God has so carefully shown his love for us.  He did that on the Cross and he did that when he rose from the grave.  In this careful love he has for us, he invites sinners to his great banquet; offering to all the broken and willing His life and his power.  When we see and know what he has done for us, we can learn to experience the love of God.  That is why we remind ourselves of this truth every day.  Then we begin to live out, in the power of Christ, a different kind of life; a life of power, love and a sound mind, where we become sensible, strong and generous.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (II Tim 1:7 NLT)

We can offer that sensible, strong, generous life to others, too.  We can offer that Invitation to His banquet, too.  Live that quality of life, through the presence and power of God in your life,  and  experience the love of God, seen through Jesus.  Allow his spirit to re-inhabit you, so that you can know him in the Scriptures.  The power of God brings about change.   Feast at the banquet table and make yourself at home there.

You are loved!