Much ink has been spilled about raising children, and in particular raising boys. Can you imagine being the parent to Jesus? The child Messiah had an answer for everything his parents through his way, this is not unusual. However, his answers were truth. I love that the 12 year old Jesus is sitting with the teachers, listening and asking questions. This was long before it was thought a person could engage such people in this way. Yet, Jesus is there holding his own, This closes the book on what we have regarding Jesus' childhood. When next we meet Jesus he will be nearly 30 years old and ready to begin his public ministry.
Ephesians 4:17-24
Put away the former life, and renew the spirit of your mind by clothing yourself in Christ. When we commit to being a follower of Jesus Christ we no longer are to follow the passions which once held us captive. Our trajectory is to follow the lead of God. This one understanding, stated repeatedly in Scripture, is the key to following Jesus, and the most difficult. We are not to live as we use to or as all those around is do. We live unto the Lord.
Psalm 119:57-64
The Lord is my portion. Not a term we use very often and therefore do not understand it. A modern transliteration of this would be to say the Lord is enough for me. All around us there are people and things which pull at our affections and loyalties. It is easy to think that our enough is found in those things. The chaser of God always comes back to the fact that only God can be enough, our portion. The difficulty us not found in knowing God to be our portion, it is experiencing the fullness of what that means and how we go about that kind of life. The simple answer that is difficult to do, the Scriptures.
1 Kings 12
The sins of the father, Solomon, show up in the son, Rehoboam. Just like the Lord had promised, the unfaithfulness of Solomon has carried into his children and the kingdom of Israel is dissolved as God is removed from the equation. I am amazed by what happens when those who have been oppressed become the ones who are dominate. Logical might tell us they would be less likely to oppress as they have been through it before. History tells us the opposite. Those who have struggled and been oppressed will become the oppressor should the chance arise. Israel had arrived. People of the world feared Israel and wanted to be Israel all at the same time. Rather than use this position for the sake of God, the leadership and the people wandered away form God and went their own way. As a result God pours out judgment just as promised.
Prayer
Lord you have shown us how we are to live. The need for transformation in our lives is no secret. I confess my pride in going my own way. Forgive me Lord, help me to follow you more than me. In Jesus Name, Amen.
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