August 2, 2009

Breaking Open The Scripture
Scriptures for the week of 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13, Psalm 51:1-12, Ephesians 4:1-16, John6:24-35

2 Samuel
This is the second half of the story of David’s Sin. David had a chance to confess and to make things right with God. He is the king, and in most circumstances he had the right to make the rules. But Nathan reminds him that he does not make the rules, God makes the rules – sin is sin. Sin is missing the mark of what is in your best interest. And we all have to deal with the consequences of what we do wrong. The rest of the story of David is the story of his decline as a king. The son of his sin, Solomon, becomes the next great king. Life goes on for David, but only because of God’s forgiveness.

John
Jesus makes his point of feeding the 5000, and intends to go on vacation to regroup. But the crowd continues to follow him and to ask for more. He has saved them, they want to make king. Jesus sees this as a teaching moment. He tells us why he feeds us and how this is a gift from God. Not something to be exploited. We are to be thankful for what we have, and be willing to serve God.
Questions: Who has confronted you with the consequences of your sin? How did you respond? As you look at your life, what are the key events that have shaped your life? What feeds your soul? How is Jesus at work in those activities? How do you say thank you to God? How often do you ask Jesus for food for your soul?