Through the Jesus Filter - Day 150 Month 5-30 Week 22-3

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)


Joshua 7:16-8:35, Psalm 119:97-120, Jeremiah 31:27-40, John 16:5-22

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%207%3A16-8%3A35%2C%20Psalm%20119%3A97-120%2C%20Jeremiah%2031%3A27-40%2C%20John%2016%3A5-22&version=NASB1995


Through the Jesus Filter


Immutable.  I was talking to my brother this morning.  He’s my only brother and he’s the one of the family that studied theology and continues to study theology.  He’s also the only one in my family that uses big words that I have no clue what they mean.  He told me God is immutable and I had to stop him and say….”Sorry, what does that mean?”  He said, well it means God is the same yesterday as He is today as He will be forever - He’s unchanging.  We were discussing my post, Crisis Averted, Day 136.  If you remember the post, it was my struggle with the fact that Jesus is the truest representation we have of God, as humble, caring and loving yet seems a lot more violent in the old testament.  This is highlighted by our Joshua reading today where the Israelites, after totally destroying Jericho in our reading yesterday, totally destroys AI in today’s reading.


I can’t, and won’t, attempt to explain the old testament violence because, quite honestly, I don’t understand it.  There are some who have a theological explanation, though, even those answers are mostly theories to help us gain some kind of understanding about the severity of sin.  Truly, only God understands Himself and no human can possibly understand God completely.  However, God doesn’t change.  He’s Immutable.  If Jesus is the true representation of God, and He is, then I will continue to filter my old testament reading through Jesus who taught us simply to love God with everything we have, and love one another.   Why so many people needed to die in the old testament, I don’t know, but I do believe in Jesus.


I love Psalm 119:105 where we read “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  We learned in our first reading of John that Jesus is the Word.  In Psalm 119:105, though the Psalmist is referring to the written text of the law, I think we can safely read those words through the “Jesus filter.”   Jesus often refers to Himself as the Light (John 8:12, John 1:4-5, John 1:9, John 12:46).  I am reminded how Jesus is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  As I live each day, I can choose to let His light shine or cover the light.  If I’m spending time listening to and obeying Him, I am experiencing His light and living in His ways.  When I don’t spend time with Him, my days are without direction and I don’t see those things He wants me to see.


So rather than being caught up in the violence of the old testament, here’s what we do know for certain.


  • God loves each and every one of us.

  • Jesus is the light of the world and the light for our individual paths.

  • Jesus, through His death and resurrection, offers us eternal life in His kingdom.


Life can be tough to navigate on our own,  but guaranteed - life has purpose if  we have Jesus in it.  I choose to have a purpose!


Have a great day!

Steve

steve.d.pauls@gmail.com


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