Redemption Parish LP14

Wednesday 15th June, 2022.

(Psalm 35:19-28)

Topic: In All Things God Works For Your Good.

Let’s be honest. Not everyone is good. Some people hate without reason and act maliciously (v.19).

There is a great contrast running through this passage between the difficulties that David is facing from those around him, and the goodness of God. The Message version brings out this contrast by using the word ‘good’ four times, but in very different contexts:

• Beware the ‘no good’ crowd

There will be times in your life and in the life of your community when you come under attack from those who are ‘cooking up gossip’ (v.20,). ‘They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations’
(v.20). David says, ‘No good is going to come from that crowd’ (v.20).

• Having a ‘good time’ is not always good

David speaks of this crowd’s ‘good time’ (v.24,). These people are having ‘a party at [David’s] expense’ (v.19,). They hate him for no reason: ‘winking and rolling their eyes’ (v.19,). They think they are having ‘a good time’ but, actually, what they are doing is not good.

• God works everything for good

‘God is great – everything works together for good for his servant’ (v.27). God takes even the bad things that are done to you and are said about you and uses them for good: ‘In all things God works for the good of those who love him’ (Romans 8:28).

• Tell the world how good God is

David ends this psalm by celebrating God’s goodness. He writes, ‘I’ll tell the world how great and good you are, I’ll shout Hallelujah all day, every day’ (Psalm 35:28,).

Prayer:

Lord, help me to remember your goodness and trust in the ‘good things’ that you have stored up for me.

Monday 13th June, 2022.

(Psalm 61:1-8)

Topic: Be Led By God

Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed by all the issues you face in life? David was ‘overwhelmed and fainting’ (v.2,).

He was a leader (‘the King’, v.6). Those who lead others need themselves to be led by God. This prayer is applicable to us all. He cried out to God to listen to his prayer and to lead him (v.1–2).

Above all, this prayer is a prayer for protection. There are times when we want to run and hide. God provides us with ‘a place to get away from it all’
(v.3,). He is a ‘safe-house’ (v.4,). He provides us with physical protection of rock-like strength (v.2), the emotional protection of his arms around us (v.4) and the spiritual protection of ‘your love and faithfulness’ (v.7).

Prayer:
Lord, lead me into your presence today and lead me in all the decisions I make, the conversations I have and the words that I speak.

Friday 10th June, 2022.

(Psalm 30:8-12)

Topix: Call out to God who turns lives around

God can turn your life right around. God turns ‘wailing into dancing’ (v.11). He removes our ‘sackcloth’ and replaces it with ‘joy’ (v.11). All this happens when you cry ‘mercy’ (v.8,10).

David called out to God, ‘Help me out of this!’ (v.10 ). God did: ‘You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy’ (v.11, )

It is amazing and wonderful to hear story after story of Jesus turning people’s lives around, bringing them out of despair, setting them free from drugs, restoring marriages and changing lives – turning ‘mourning into dancing’ and sackcloth into ‘gladness’.

No wonder David ends this psalm by saying, ‘I can’t thank you enough’ (v.12,).

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord, that when I cried out to you for help you answered me. Thank you for turning my life right around!

Tuesday 7th June, 2022.

(Proverbs 11:19-28)

Topic: Enjoy The High-Definition Life

The book of Proverbs sets out two paths: one leads to ‘death’ (v.19); the other leads to ‘life’ (v.19). The path that leads to death is the path of evil (v.19), perversity (v.20), wickedness (v.21), meanness
(v.24), hoarding (v.26) and trusting in wealth (v.28).

The path that leads to life is for those who are righteous (v 19,21). You are ‘righteous’ through your faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22).

In this passage we see a description of what this life is like. It is not mere existence. It is high-definition living. It means enjoying God’s delight (Proverbs 11:20). It is a life of freedom (v.21). It ‘ends only in good’ (v.23).

When you are generous, you are ‘enriched’. When you ‘refresh’ others, you are ‘refreshed’ (v.25).

This does not mean that life is without its difficulties, challenges and suffering. But ultimately, you will be crowned with blessing (v.26). You will find goodwill (v.27) and will ‘thrive like a green leaf’ (v.28).

Prayer:
Lord, thank you that you give me the righteousness of Christ by faith and put me on a path that leads to life.

Monday 6th June , 2022.

(Judges 9:1-57)

Topic: Sow Loyalty

I have noticed, over the years, how those who sow loyalty to their leaders reap a high degree of loyalty when they themselves come into positions of leadership. On the other hand, those who refuse to come under another’s leadership and who stir up trouble, invariably reap the same attitude of disloyalty if they themselves come into a position of leadership.

In this passage we see the disastrous consequences of the disloyalty of Abimelech to his father and to his brothers. Abimelech was a passionate leader, a good communicator and a skilled tactician but he was also arrogant and self-promoting. He wanted no rivals. Abimelech sowed violence. ‘He hired some reckless, riffraff soldiers... and killed his half brothers... seventy men!’ (v.4–5,). The youngest managed to hide – the only survivor.

Again, we see this biblical principle at work: we reap what we sow. Abimelech sowed disloyalty and violence. He reaped disloyalty and violence. Initially, he was in cahoots with the citizens of Shechem (v.2 and following). But three years later bad feeling arose between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who had acted treacherously against Abimelech.

Abimelech reaped what he had sown. Shechem’s leaders ‘worked treacherously behind his back. Violence boomeranged: the murderous violence that killed the seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal, was now loose among Abimelech and Shechem’s leaders, who had supported the violence’ (v.23–24,).

Abimelech showed no loyalty to the people of Shechem. He used them when he needed them
(v.2). However, he had no hesitation in wiping them out (v.42–49).

Ultimately, they all reaped what they had sown, and Abimelech himself was ingloriously killed soon after (v.53–54). The writer sums it all up: ‘God avenged the evil Abimelech had done to his father, murdering his seventy brothers. And God brought down on the heads of the men of Shechem all the evil that they had done’ (v.56–57, ).

Prayer:

Lord, help us to be loyal to one another in the church, in the workplace, in our families and in our friendships. Help us as a community to sow truth and justice, generosity and loyalty.