March 7, 2010

Scriptures for March 7th: Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9 Songs: O Jesus I Have Promised – UMH 396, As the Deer (sing twice) TFWS 2025, A Charge to Keep I Have UMH 413

Isaiah
This verse comes from third Isaiah – the last version of Isaiah. The people have returned to their homeland from captivity. But they are still a little leary. This passage invites them to the feast. They don’t have to dress up, they can come as they are. They can bring tears, concerns, sadness and all – God will take it and invite us to trust God. If they are hungry for God, they will be fed. Then they are reminded of the promises of God that we will be taken care of. Then we are given access to the promises. That access is our faith and our righteousness. We will see God’s love for the world clearly with those two things.

Psalm 63
Water is an important luxury and experiences of abundance in a very dry land. Not only do the faithful long and pant for God – but when it comes we are so excited. Water is not a luxury, water is a necessity. In this season, we are looking at the promises of God, but how we are able to praise God when we witness those promises. Worship is the fulfillment of our thirst for God. It is believed that David wrote this for the people when they are in a wilderness to remind them that they would be with God again in their lives.


Questions: When was the last time you experienced the lavishness and abundance of God in your life? When was the last time that you invited someone to the feast of worship, how can they experience the love of God by coming to worship? The psalmist thinks of God in the darkness of the night, when do you think of God?