Day 294: God Blesses

2 Timothy 3; Jeremiah 9-10; Psalm 123

There are a couple of things Paul writes that stick out to me. First, he talks about end times and how people will make a show of religion but it will all be fake. He goes on to say that scriptures are supposed to be useful in teaching people how to live. Even though these verses are not next to each other, I have come to believe that these concepts are related. If people read scripture with a pure heart, with the intention of getting to know God, and improving themselves, they truly will learn to do "all kinds of good deeds." But those that do not read the Bible, or read it only with selfish motives, will learn, have, and demonstrate a fake religion.

Paul also writes, "Yet The Lord rescued me from all those terrible troubles. Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others." Paul warns us and also gives us hope: we are going to be mocked, ridiculed, judged, etc., but God will save us. It doesn't say that we will avoid being mocked, ridiculed, and judged; simply, that it will happen but we are not on our own and there is hope that comes from the Almighty God.

Maybe what God wants for our lives, our purpose, is not such a mystery after all. What does God want from us? "The Lord says: don't brag about your wisdom or strength or wealth. If you feel you must brag, then have enough sense to brag about worshiping me, The Lord. What I like best is serving kindness, justice, and mercy to everyone on earth." Hm, so we are to talk more about God than we are ourselves and serve everyone with kindness, justice, and mercy. What's amazing, is that I thought these concepts were "Jesus-concepts," as in, the Old Testament was a bunch of harsh stuff and until Jesus came along, there was no love. But the more I read the Old Testament, it's clear that God says so much about loving others in the Old Testament, that Jesus just came to demonstrate what it really looked like.

This psalm says that they will look to God for mercy until he gives it. May we learn to fix our eyes on God, not anything else, believing that he will care for us in the way we need. With as much as God talks about how much he wants to bless his people and give us good things (not stuff, but "things"), we have to believe that looking to God for help is the best thing we can do.