May 29--Good News That Won't Stop Coming

How would it feel to listen to the news and hear nothing but what's inspiring, heart pumping, life-giving?  This is what I found in the passages today--news that is nothing but true and all good:  2 Samuel 14, John 18, Psalm 119:97-112, Proverbs 16:7-8.

Click here for the written post of today's episode.

Eve reads her Bible journal aloud on this episode.

Click here for the FREE Yearly Bible Reading Plan she uses.  

Transcript

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May 29. Good news that won't stop coming. I won't be reading the scripture references. For those, please check the written post. Like many self-respecting women, when I totaled my car last year, I made my choice to replace it based on beauty and sentiment, which are good enough reasons when you think about it. God used a donkey to give Balaam directions in the Bible. Surely he could guide me to the right car using what spoke to me too. I'd never bought a car before, so I asked God to help me before I got started, and I asked him to make the best choice obvious. By Googling the model, year and options I wanted, three good choices came right up, but how would I decide between them? With a limited budget, price was important, so that's where I began. The lowest price car of the three had the make, model, and color I wanted. The seller was a dealer I was familiar with. More than forty years earlier, his daughter had been my roommate after college, and his family owned dealership was still doing big business. Even the location of the dealership spoke to me. It was the town where my husband and I married and still have friends. What other signs did I need? All these pointed me to Milton Martin Toyota in Gainesville, Georgia, but there were more signs coming. My biggest regret about totaling my car was that we'd just put brand new top of the line Michelin defenders on it. I'd had to say goodbye to them at the wrecked car lot, but what I wanted to do was jack up my car and take those tires with me. When I arrived at Milton Martin to test drive this new to me Highlander, I discovered it had a moon roof and leather seats, which were things I'd wanted but hadn't thought to ask for. What's more its mileage was exactly what my old Highlanders had been, even more signs that this car was my best choice. But the good news got even better. When I shook hands with the salesman after signing the paperwork, the car's tires caught my eye. They were Michelin defenders just like my old cars had been. I had no doubts then. God had picked out this car just for me. Glory be. Today's passages hold even better news than a new car with all the bells and whistles you wanted but didn't think to ask for.

2 Samuel 14

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The Old Testament chapter is 2 Samuel fourteen. There are a lot of events in this chapter that tell what happens after David's son Absalom murders his brother, Amnon, and runs off, but what jumps out at me is what the wise woman of Tokoah said to David afterwards, quote, God works out ways to get the exile back, end quote. This is God's whole plan for mankind in a mere nine word nutshell, and this is what David hasn't done in the trouble with Absalom and Amnon. He's let Absalom remain banished, and even after he brings him back, David refuses to meet with him face to face. Thankfully this isn't how God treats us after sin. The woman from Tokoah is right. God works out ways to bring us back to him, most notably by sending Jesus to die for our sins. God doesn't just clean us up and set us on our feet either. With Jesus' sacrifice, he kills death and wipes away sin so that neither have mastery over us again. We're free to obey him. We're free to make good choices, we're free to live lives that please him out of gratitude, not out of trying harder to do better to earn his favor. The restart Jesus gives us after we repent is unlike any David knew. Jesus doesn't shun us till we have a better attitude. He doesn't ignore us because we've messed up beyond his ability to forgive either. He comes for us, he comes to us, he comes inside us, and he makes us right with him because we could never do it for ourselves on our own and without him. Unlike David with Absalom, God seeks, he finds, he rescues, and he doesn't stop. He knows the ways and whiles it takes to reach us when we lose touch and run off. Even when the reason we're distant is our own sinful choosing, he still comes after us. This was the point the woman from Tokoa was making. I love this about God, how he never stops reaching out no matter what we've done. We see him like this in the story of the prodigal. He's the father who watches for his son to come home, the father who sees him a long way off, the father who runs to meet him, the father who gets a party started to celebrate his return, even before he gives him a serious talking to, which he never gets around to doing. God's not too proud to show us how soft hearted he is. He's not too holy to let our bad behavior come between us. He's not touchy and he doesn't hold grudges. Because of Jesus, we've got piles and stacks of restarts waiting for us that we can never use up. The after party is knocking and it's rocking, which is good news when you need it. Such great news actually that it's hard to believe it, but you can trust the God that God is. He's the one who seeks and saves to the point of sending his sinless son to die so that we can be his. What more can he show you about what he most wants and who he really is? The good news is this God did everything you need to make you his.

John 18

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The New Testament chapter is John eighteen. I'm always hoping Peter will turn it around when I read this chapter, you know, before he denies Jesus a third time, how devastated he must have felt when he realized that Jesus already knew about it since he predicted it, but that he couldn't tell Jesus how much he regretted it. Maybe he figures Jesus knows this part too. That's the thing about Jesus. He sees the worst in us and has already forgiven it. Life with Jesus isn't about being perfect to please him. It's about realizing we can't be perfect. It's seeing who we really are and how much we really need him. It's understanding how much we need his spirit in order to be who we want to be, which, wouldn't you know, is how Jesus already sees us. The wise woman of Tokoa told David that God works out ways to bring exiles like Absalom and Peter and you and me back to him. Exiles meaning anyone who's lost their way for whatever reason, and the way he's worked it out is by sending Jesus. Jesus wasn't surprised by Peter's failure, and he isn't surprised by anyone else's either, because of sin our need for him is a debt we can never pay, but Jesus paid that debt at the cross. What he most wants isn't us wringing our hands over our sin, but our celebrating with him the saving he died to give. Will we let our self help plans go and grab hold of his freedom? I have trouble with this. I find myself in the shame swamp often, sifting through my regrets to find a little goodness, hoping to find even a little greatness if I'm honest, but I can never find what I need there. The little slivers and shreds are never enough to cover me. My best efforts are laced with self interest. My gung ho resolutions lose their thrill in the grind of daily living. When drought comes, leaves without deep roots wither. But Jesus sets me free from my swamp search to embrace what he's already done and is doing for me daily. The joy of letting go and grabbing hold of him is infinitely exquisite. This is when my praise party begins. And would you believe there's even more good news? Jesus cleans up my shame and creates his life inside me, right where I'm weakest. This is what he did for Peter, who Jesus never scolded but simply recommissioned, and in the power of Jesus' spirit, Peter set the ancient world on fire with his preaching. The more good news is this Jesus' life springs up inside

Psalm 119:97-112, Prayer, Proverbs 16:7-8

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you. From Psalm one hundred nineteen, ninety seven to one hundred twelve. The psalmist is head over heels and not for a new crush, but for God and his word. I know, it's hard to believe. And just like you'd expect with a new love interest, he ponders his beloved's words all day and treasures them, he feeds on them, he finds them to be consoling and life giving. But these words don't just comfort, they go to work in him. They make him wiser than his enemies, wiser than his teachers, wiser than the wise around him, and all he does is read them and do what they say. He's so hooked on them, he won't step off the path God's laid out in them. Their instructions are more nourishing than any home cooked meal. They give him light in the dark so he can see where he's going and what's coming. Having this book the Bible is a gift, quote, and how happy it makes me, end quote. Are you as surprised as I am? God's word is delightful, not boring. He'd rather spend time with it, not put up his feet and check out with Netflix. It makes him feel happy, not feel guilty. When's the last time any of us felt delighted, invigorated, and joyful reading the Bible? The psalmist's secret for experiencing it like this is written at the beginning. He ponders it, he feeds on it, reading and thinking about it has become his life's work. In God's word he finds wisdom, successful living, and great joy. Who doesn't want all these? The writer is clear, in order to have them, soak yourself in scripture. Will we believe him? The even more good news is this God's words give you new life every time you read them. God, let your good news knock me off my ho hum rocker. Let spending time with you and your words be the first thing I do in my day. Let my faith roots push deeper into you. In Jesus' name, so be it. From Proverbs 16, 7 to 8. God's approval is powerful. Eventually you'll have your enemies' approval too. It's better to be godly and poor than godless and wealthy. Riches can't bring joy, but righteousness can. Passages from 2 Samuel, John, Psalms, and Proverbs are selected for today in the yearly Bible. This is Eve to Bartleaban, Robuck.