Morning Musing: Ecclesiastes 7:10

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“Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” since it is not wise of you to ask this.” (CSB – Read the chapter)‬‬

I get a variety of daily newsletters in my email inbox. Some are just collections of headlines with links to read the full articles. Others include all the news right there. Because I don’t watch any news on TV or subscribe to any newspapers or get any news through social media, these newsletters along with a handful of podcasts are my way of staying engaged with what’s going on in the world around me. The best newsletters, though, don’t just give the news. They also include a variety of other items the writers think might be of interest to their readers. One of these caught my eye the other day. It was a synopsis of an article about a group who tried to figure out exactly when the “good old days” actually were. If you’ve ever wondered that yourself, read on with me for just a bit.

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Morning Musing: Psalm 19:1-2

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“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Some things, once you see them, are hard to imagine not seeing. Consider the average optical illusion. When you look at some of them, they initially look like nothing or else perhaps something totally other than they actually are. Once you have learned to see them for what they truly are, though, you can’t not them that way even if you try. Knowing things works the same way. Some truths, once you learn them, shape your view of the world so profoundly that you literally can’t fathom not knowing them any longer. I was reminded of this yesterday while checking out a bunch of bees. Let me tell you about it.

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Morning Musing: John 15:13

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“No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul remarks on how unusual it is for someone to die for someone else. Life is precious. We know that inherently. Because of that, we tend to guard our own life pretty jealously. The idea that we might give up our life for anyone or anything is an awfully tall order. Echoing this same idea, Jesus said that such an act represents the greatest gift of love a person could possibly give. Well, today is the day our nation pauses each year to reflect on love lived out. Let’s reflect on that for just a few moments together.

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Digging in Deeper: Proverbs 13:6

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“Righteousness guards people of integrity, but wickedness undermines the sinner.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Graduation season is always an interesting time. The primary reason for this is that it gives us the chance to reflect on the parting words given to graduates by a whole variety of speakers. Every one of these invited guests is there to tell his or her audience the things they presumably need to know in order to experience success in life as they move on to their next chapter. Sometimes the advice is good and wise; sometimes less so. Sometimes the advice is fairly generic and bland, while other times it can generate reactions in the broader culture that are a bit…livelier. The graduation speech given by Harrison Butker, the superstar kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs seems to have fallen into this latter category. Let’s explore what he actually had to say, some of the ways the culture has reacted to it, and see what we can do with it.

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Digging in Deeper: Exodus 24:1-2

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“Then he said to Moses, ‘Go up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders, and bow in worship at a distance. Moses alone is to approach the Lord, but the others are not to approach, and the people are not to go up with him.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Everything has to start somewhere. The nation of Israel as we know it throughout the rest of the Old Testament period and to at least some extent on through to today started with the events of this chapter. What we will look at over the next few posts is the covenant ceremony in which God made things official with the people. It’s an interesting affair, to say the least. Right here at the start, though, something caught my attention that doesn’t have anything to do with the rest of the chapter. As we prepare to talk about God’s officially bringing the people of Israel into a new covenant relationship with Him, let’s talk for just a minute about human leadership and failure.

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