Tag: Gratitude

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: 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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Morning Musing: Proverbs 18:22

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“A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.”
— ‭‭(CSB – Read the chapter)

My bride and I have been watching a show lately about living in Alaska. It came out several years ago when shows featuring all things Alaskan were so popular. This one chronicles the lives and lifestyles of a collection of people who live near or north of the Arctic Circle. At least two of the ones who get the most attention are single. One is a woman who lives entirely on her own. The other is a guy who lives with only his dogsledding dogs. From the editing, they pretty much do everything for and by themselves. Watching it is a good reminder of another thing I’m thankful on this Thanksgiving day. Today I am thankful for not doing life alone.

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Digging in Deeper: Exodus 15:17-21

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“You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your possession; Lord, you have prepared the place for your dwelling; Lord, your hands have established the sanctuary. The Lord will reign forever and ever! When Pharaoh’s horses with his chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought water of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then the prophetess Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women came out following her with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted; he has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

One of the clearest indicators that God was the ultimate author of all the Scriptures via the inspiration of His Holy Spirit is the sheer number of times and places where one part makes reference to another part. Backward-looking references are certainly easy to explain. The later authors simply had to be familiar (very familiar sometimes) with the earlier documents. Forward-looking references (prophecy), though, are harder to understand apart from two things: God’s inspiration, or a much later authorship of some parts of it than we think. In this final part of Moses’ song of praise (whose exact ending point in the text isn’t totally clear), we see an example of this. Let’s talk about this last stanza, what follows, and what we can learn from this whole thing.

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Digging in Deeper: Exodus 15:1-3

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“Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said: I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted; he has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I mentioned this earlier this week, but let’s come back to it. I remember when Osama bin Laden was killed. People were celebrating in the streets. There were hundreds of impromptu parties across the country, even in the middle of the night, when the news first dropped. Perhaps that sounds odd to say now. After all, isn’t it kind of ugly to rejoice that someone has died? Maybe, but this was the man ultimately responsible for the murder of several thousand Americans in the 9/11 attacks. He was the most wanted man in the world as far as our nation was concerned. We had finally gotten him, and we were happy about it. I say all of that by way of introduction to the next part of our journey through Exodus. The Israelites’ celebration of God’s action in rescuing them from the pursuing Egyptian forces that comprises the first two-thirds of Exodus 15 is full of language that is uncomfortable to read. Understanding their mindset as a people helps make sense out of it. Let’s start working through their song of praise today, and see what we can learn together along the way.

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