Seeking the Life in Christ: January 2024

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

The God of Now-Here

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 31, 2024

The God of Now-Here

God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Exodus 3:14

One of my favorite expressions is, “I’ve got nowhere to go and all day to get there.” Even in my retirement, the days without meetings, appointments, and places to be, are few and far between. In my expression, being nowhere is a place of rest. However, to some, being nowhere carries negative connotations. To say we are nowhere means we haven’t made progress, or that where we are is of no significance. However, when we look at the word nowhere, we see that it is made up of two words: now and here. When we learn to practice the spiritual discipline of now-here, we are making great progress in our spiritual transformation, and we are in a place of great significance.

Two great temptations in life try desperately to keep us out of now-here. We are either distracted by issues in our past, or we are side-tracked by worries of what may happen in the future. These dual enemies keep us inattentive to the present needs and realities of our life. Perhaps you have heard the word play someone fashioned about God’s self-identification to Moses: “God replied to Moses, “I AM who I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you”” (Exodus 3:14 NLT). God didn’t say I was, or I will be. He said I AM which is to say He is our God of the present moment; He is our God of now-here.

The practice of the spiritual discipline of now-here is preceded by the spiritual discipline of reflection. Take time to reflect on your day. Remember the places where you went and the people you encountered. Let Psalm 139 be your guide as you reflect on all the activities of your day: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24). As you practice the disciple of holy reflection, you will begin to see the places where your enemies, past and future, diverted your attention from living now-here.

My Takeaway: Let’s not tarry too long over regret for missed opportunities that could have been used as a vessel of grace by our Master; let’s simply purpose in our heart that, with the help of our Holy Comforter, we will endeavor to become more aware of living now-here.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life. The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

How Beautiful Is The One Who Made Us!

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 30, 2024

How Beautiful Is The One Who Made Us!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Psalm 148:13

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowd was shouting, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:38-40). What do you suppose the stones would have said?

Saint Francis suggested this: “How beautiful is the one who made us!” I think both Jesus and Saint Francis may have taken their inspiration for the notion of creation praising their Creator from Psalm 148. Among the psalmist’ exhaustive list of those who praise God are all God’s angels, all the armies of heaven, the sun and moon, all the twinkling stars, the skies above, the vapors high above the clouds, the creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, as well as kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children. Whew!

Included within the psalmist’ call for all creation to praise God is the virtue of unity within God’s creation. This reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s assertion that “creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:21-22 NLT). Someday the lion and the lamb, all creation, even the “small scurrying animals” will sing praise to God in perfect unity and perfect harmony.

As I hear the call of the psalmist for all creation to praise our Creator, I find Saint Francis’ suggestion quite compelling. My tendency has been to praise God for ____ (fill in the blank). The blank could be for specific things I feel are blessings in my life, or it could be the beauty of God’s creation. Saint Francis is asking me to consider simply praising my Maker, not for the wonders He has performed, but because He is God.

My Takeaway: “How beautiful is the one who made us!”

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, January 29, 2024

His Grace Is All I Need

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 29, 2024

His Grace Is All I Need

But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners

Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 NRSV

When Saint Paul petitioned God about a personal issue, the one he characterized as a thorn in his flesh, God’s response was “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:8). God’s grace is God adopting us as his own children and inviting us to know Him as our “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). Being adopted by God means we can live with nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. This reality empowers us to respond to our personal issues as we are being transfigured, much like the Messiah, and as our lives are gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. (See 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 MSG). The wonder of our right-standing, as God’s adopted children, is that God made this all possible through Christ dying for us while we were still lost and separated from Him in our sin.

This truth means that God’s response to Saint Paul, and to each of us as we petition Him about our personal issues, is the same guidance God gives us for our daily living: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Even though we know the entirety of our relationship with God is rooted in God’s grace, we try desperately to fashion a religious system by which we can measure our lives and reach a verdict that we are worthy to inherit God’s promise of eternal life. Listen to the formal, as well as the informal, eulogies after a person has died. They tend to accentuate the positive, and ignore the negative, in vain efforts to qualify the deceased for a heavenly reward.

Christ’s death provided the way for my right-standing relationship with God, my Abba Father. Christ’s death was sufficient for me the day God’s prevenient grace opened my heart to receive His offer of salvation. Christ’s death will be sufficient to cover my sins with his blood today, and tomorrow, all the tomorrows of my life, until by God’s grace my faith becomes sight, and I behold by Savior, face to face.

My Takeaway: The greatest challenge I face in my mortal life is to daily resist the urges of moralism and legalism. God’s plan was to save me by His grace, and for me to live day by day in His grace, because His grace is all I need.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, January 26, 2024

To Know Christ

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 26, 2024

To Know Christ

“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

John 9:25b

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT). How do we experience this powerful promise of God? First, we receive the Word of God as information. Through the work of the Holy Spirit the information becomes inspirational to us as our hearts are warmed by the truth of God’s Word. Then the inspirational truth of God’s Word within us transforms our lives, and the Word becomes incarnational within us. That is, we begin to live out the truth of God’s Word in ways that are pleasing to God.

Anthony DeMello, in his wonderful little book, The Song of the Bird, describes the process this way:

“A dialogue between a recent convert and an unbelieving friend:

“So you have been converted to Christ?” “Yes.”

“Then you must know a great deal about him. Tell me: what country was he born in?”

“I don’t know.”

“What was his age when he died?”

“I don’t know.”

“How many sermons did he preach?”

“I don’t know.”

“You certainly know very little for a man who claims to be converted to Christ.’”

“You are right. I am ashamed at how little I know about him. But this much I know: Three years ago I was a drunkard. I was in debt. My family was falling apart. My wife and children would dread my coming home each day. Now I have given up drink; we are out of debt; ours is a happy home. All this Christ has done. This much I know of him!”

DeMello concludes the dialog with this observation: “To really know. That is, to be transformed by what one knows.”

My Takeaway: In John’s Gospel the formerly blind beggar was asked a multitude of questions about Jesus. He could answer none. Like the recent convert in DeMello’s dialog, all he could say was: “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

How have you been transformed?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Blessed are the Persecuted

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 25, 2024

Blessed are the Persecuted

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

Let’s begin first with the blessing: “the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” The New Testament is written from the perspective that human history is divided into two periods: the present age and the Age to Come. The Age to Come is when the Kingdom of Heaven is fully established on earth, and evil, sin and death have been banished. Jesus the Messiah inaugurated the Age to Come through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. The Kingdom of Heaven or Age to Come will not be some spiritual experience above and beyond life on earth; it will be new life on the earth, as the paradise God intended. Everything will be made right, and truth and justice will flourish. In this new age, life would be full of possibilities. There will be absolutely no barriers, or obstacles to fulfilling every Godly dream and ambition you have. Whether you long to create beautiful music or art, experience deep, fulfilling relationships, or any other noble pursuit, in the Age to Come your dreams will come true. Often, those who live with abundance now assume that the culture in the Age to Come will operate the same as this present culture. However, Jesus taught that where this present age is wedded to materialism and performance-based acceptance, the Age to Come will be wedded to the magnificent grace of God.

As we seek the life in Christ as our way of life, it is vital that we, just like Jesus, keep our eyes on the prize. “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1b-2). Jesus endured the cross because of the joy awaiting him; we can endure persecution because of our hope in the Age to Come.

In Revelation 19, the Apostle John teaches us that the Christian witness for God in times of persecution is the most powerful witness for God in the world. The faithfulness of God’s people in standing firm on the Word of God is crucial to the defeat of the forces of evil. In Revelation 21, we get a glimpse of what it will be like when the persecution of God’s people has ended. With the ultimate and final defeat of evil, God’s people will be completely unrestrained in worship. Worship will not be confined to times and places; worship will be a state of being as God is worshiped through everything that a person does, wherever they may be.

My Takeaway: The followers of Christ have been commissioned to speak God’s Word and God’s truth into this present darkness. Our commission is to remain diligent in our responsibility to honor God as we wait for Christ to come in final victory and fulfill all his promises for the Age to Come.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 24, 2024

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:9

Peace is a vitally important subject in the New Testament. Jesus spoke of peace over twenty times in the Gospels, and peace was discussed over sixty times in the rest of the NT. The heart of our motivation to become peacemakers is the Apostle Paul’s affirmation of our own peace with God in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This truth inspired Paul to practice what he preached, and the short epistle of Philemon reveals Paul’s work as a peacemaker.

Paul wrote from his prison cell in Rome to a man named Philemon who lived in Colossae. According to Colossians 4:9, the letter was sent to Philemon together with Paul’s epistle to the church at Colossae. Philemon was a wealthy businessman who probably came to faith in Jesus when he heard Paul preach in Ephesus. Philemon opened his home in Colossae for a new community of faith to be established.

Onesimus was a slave owned by Philemon. He had deserted Philemon and had at some point met Paul, and like Philemon, had come to faith in Christ. Onesimus had grown in faith and had become an important contributor to Paul’s ministry. Even so, Paul knew that true growth in Christ comes through accountability. Paul was seeking to be a peacemaker so that Philemon and Onesimus could be reconciled. Paul knew that for Philemon and Onesimus to live out the life in Christ in this manner would be a huge testimony to the community of Colossae about the authenticity of the church, and the power of Christ to change lives.

Paul does not share his counsel to Onesimus, but I think it is safe to assume his encouragement for Onesimus would have been substantially the same as we see for Philemon. Paul built his case by reminding Philemon of whom he was in Christ, and that the cause of Christ has priority over everything in our life. Paul appeals to Philemon to do the right thing because that’s what followers of Christ do. What a powerful affirmation of the power of Christ that Onesimus returned to Colossae and that Paul entrusted his friend Onesimus to Philemon.

My Takeaway: While we do not know for certain what became of this reunion, we do know that in the years following this reunion, the church in Colossae elected a Bishop named Onesimus. Onesimus was quite an unusual name, and though we cannot be certain, it is quite possible that the slave Onesimus became the Christian Onesimus who then became Bishop Onesimus. The Apostle Paul was a peacemaker and a child of God.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 23, 2024

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

“Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.”

Matthew 5:8

Jesus again turned to the psalms for his inspiration in the Beatitude, Blessed Are the Pure in Heart: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.” (Psalm 24:3-6).

This Beatitude prompts us to consider our attitude about worship and to ponder just how pure are our hearts. First, what does worship mean to you? Generally, people tend to think of worship as an expression of adoration, praise, and love to God. Certainly, such expressions are included within worship, but does that understanding truly get to the heart of worship? Perhaps we should first ask, why do we worship, what is the purpose, or goal, of worship?

Biblical worship, especially the worship described in the Book of Psalms, has but one purpose: to enter the presence of God. When we experience the presence of God, our lives are healed and made whole, and we experience the transformation the Apostle Paul described in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him” (The Message). When the Bible describes worship, the people are bowing down; they are kneeling, in reverence and submission to God (See Psalm 95:6-7). Take a few minutes and ponder what it would be like to be in a church where the people came together with hearts united with a longing to be in the presence of God, submitted to God’s righteous reign in their lives.

Let’s take time to ponder and pray Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” We pray and ask God to change our heart because only God can give us a new heart. I love the way Bernard of Clairvaux put it, “So far from being able to answer for my sins, I cannot even answer for my righteousness!” The only answer for my sins is God’s forgiveness; the only answer for how to live my life is God’s gift of His righteousness.

My Takeaway: Jesus promises us that as we put our whole trust in him, as we allow God to transform our lives so that the things we desire, the things we do, are reflections of God’s heart for humankind, as we allow God to make our hearts pure, we will see God.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, January 22, 2024

Blessed Are the Merciful

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 22, 2024

Blessed Are the Merciful

“Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.”

Matthew 5:7

I hope you are seeing with me, in the Beatitudes Jesus is taking us much deeper than we imagined. Jesus said God blesses the merciful, and this takes us to a deeper understanding of forgiveness. There are three levels we can understand Christian forgiveness.

Terry Anderson, the American journalist who was captured in Lebanon in 1985 and held hostage by Hezbollah militants until 1991, models the first level of forgiveness. In an interview after his release from captivity, he was asked whether he could ever forgive his captors. He responded, “I’m a Christian, it’s required of me that I forgive, no matter how hard it may be.” (Time, December 16, 1991) Anderson’s statement seems to echo the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians: “Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13b NLT). Anderson believed he had to forgive because the Lord commanded it. This is the first level of forgiveness.

However, Jesus wants us to go deeper. As we mature in Christ, we will understand that it is in our best interest to forgive. We realize our Heavenly Father really does know best. We come to understand why mercy is an essential part of God’s triad of purpose for us: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). We learn that in the absence of forgiveness all that is left is bitterness, anger, and revenge. We learn that when we practice forgiveness, when we extend mercy, our lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually are enhanced. It is in our best interest to forgive, so we think of forgiveness not as something we have to do, but as something we get to do. This is the second level of forgiveness.

An interesting dynamic of the life in Christ is that the closer we get to Christ, the more we become aware of our sin. Before we became a follower of Christ, we took no notice of even the most egregious sins. The more we are persuaded that the Father of our Lord is quite fond of us, the more we realize the furious longing of Abba for us, the more aware we are of even the slightest, unintentional sin. At the thought of Jesus’ continued love and forgiveness of us, we respond much like the beautiful woman at Simon the Pharisee’s house, “As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” (Luke 7:38). Thus, we find ourselves in the third level of forgiveness. We become like God and extend mercy because we want to.

My Takeaway: In this third level of forgiveness, we are delighted with what God is doing in our life and the desire of our heart is to share it with others. The promise of God in 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 becomes our reality.

“Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.” (The Message)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, January 19, 2024

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger for Righteousness

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 19, 2024

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger for Righteousness

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

There are again echoes of Psalm 37 in this Beatitude, as well as David’s Psalm 17. David was in a right relationship with God because God called and anointed David to be King over Israel. God made David righteous: that is, in a right relationship with God.

It has been my experience that Christians fall into three basic groups regarding their understanding of righteousness. The first two groups constitute most Christians. One group hasn’t yet grasped the concept of a relationship with God and, thus, is more focused on trying to be ‘good enough’ to please God, rather than resting in Abba’s acceptance of them. The second group just assumes righteousness comes with being saved, and they don’t spend much time thinking about righteousness, much less hungering and thirsting for righteousness. The third group is those who accept Jesus’ promise that they will be satisfied. Both Saint Paul and King David exemplify those in this third group.

In Psalm 4, we see an expression of David’s trust in God. David is not in denial; he knows he has adversaries and that his adversaries are enemies of God. However, David fully expects that God will vindicate him. He trusts God to be both the judge and the executor of divine judgment. This is the same trust the Apostle Paul proclaimed when he wrote, “for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return” (2 Timothy 1:12 NLT). Why did both David and Paul exhibit this level of trust? Because they worshipped the God of (their) righteousness!

When Jesus speaks of righteousness in this Beatitude, he is not talking about the righteousness of the world that can be earned through good works. He is saying God calls us to a different kind of righteousness. This is the righteousness that comes through faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us. In this righteousness, the life of Jesus becomes visible in our life as we live in a way that expresses the merciful, forgiving, reconciling will of God.

My Takeaway: Jesus is blessing those who hunger, who long, and who thirst from the depths of their souls to be made right with the God of all creation. Because of the immeasurable love of Jesus, I am now and forever more in a right relationship with God: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, I can rejoice with the psalmist in saying:

“As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;

when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.” (Psalm 17:15).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Blessed Are The Meek

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 18, 2024

Blessed Are The Meek

“Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.”

Matthew 5:5

We know from the Gospels that the Psalms had a great influence on Jesus as he quoted them often. While he does not quote a particular psalm in the Beatitudes, the influence is clear. His pronouncement, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” is an affirmation of the old and very wise teacher who crafted Psalm 37. The essential message of the psalm is in verses 5-6: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” Jesus’ reference to the meek is for those who surrender control of their lives to God. The meek are those who are willing to be an instrument of grace used by God. This is a very profound, yet simple way to pattern your life. First, you commit your life to God. Second, you exercise faith in God by trusting Him with your life. Third, God will act.

This pattern is simple in form, but very difficult to implement in our lives. We live in a culture that values strength, independence, and self-reliance. Meekness and humility, are not highly regarded in the world’s culture. Like Jesus’ first disciples, we would rather have a vision of a great army waiting for their King to lead them into battle. However, instead of a mighty King dressed in battle armor and riding a big horse, a humble shepherd walks to the head of the army. No armor. No weapon. And he expects his army to dismount, remove their armor, drop their weapons, and follow him. I find my willingness to drop my armor and follow my humble Master increases the more I keep my eye on the prize. (However, we do keep the Armor of God. See Ephesians 6:10-17)

The psalmist is not very specific about how God will act, but the description is rather breathtaking; “. . . your vindication like the noonday sun.” The psalmist is trying to describe the wonder, beauty and awe associated with being in the presence of God. The reward for faithfulness to God is being in perfect peace as you rest in the presence of your Heavenly Father. Seven times the psalmist refers to the blessing of God as, “The godly will possess the land and will live there forever” (Psalm 37:29). This means the reward is eternal. This is what it means to “inherit the earth.”

My Takeaway: Our culture bombards us with messages that rewards and blessings must be tangible and received in the here and now. But God’s blessings are His presence with us, now and forever.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 17, 2024

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Matthew 5:4

“God blesses those who mourn” is often quoted at funerals or when someone is going through a time of personal suffering or grief. As I noted in the preceding Beatitude, while God certainly cares deeply for all people, including those who are suffering and grieving, Jesus has in mind here those who mourn over their sins and the sins of the world.

One way to think about the core values of the life in Christ is to remember the three essential H’s: hunger for God, heart for people, and hatred of sin. Those who are blessed as spiritual beggars in the first Beatitude are spiritually poor because they have a hunger for God. Those who mourn in this Beatitude grieve for the way their sins have hurt God and diminished their own life. As a Christian, my life belongs to God; by creation and redemption I belong to God. My sins not only cause pain and suffering in my own life, but they are also an affront to God and to Christ Jesus, “who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20b). Jesus is pronouncing a blessing on those who are brokenhearted over the way they have allowed sin to diminish their humanity. Jesus is pronouncing a blessing on those who grieve over how their sins have insulted the character and integrity of their Abba.

Those who mourn also have a heart for people and are grieving over the state of affairs in our world. God created us to be in community, and across the world we have countless millions of neighbors who are in dire straits. Famine, oppression, poverty, war and evil of all kinds is devastating God’s world and His children who have been created in His image. The people of God mourn over the way sin has disfigured God’s creation. Those who mourn are taking up the lament of the psalmist David in Psalm 13: “How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? (Psalm 13:2 NLT).

There is no easy answer to this question; but as David noted in this psalm, the wait is not without purpose and great blessings. As David turned to God, he found God turning to him. (See also James 4:8) God restored the sparkle to David’s eyes and David sang praises to God. In those times, when our soul cries out to God, "How long,” David inspires us to turn to God and remember “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

My Takeaway: This is the comfort received by those who mourn their sins: “So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” (Romans 5:11 NLT).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 16, 2024

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:3

The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 are Jesus’ description of the life in Christ. These pronouncements by Jesus reveal the character traits of the citizens of the Kingdom of God. Each of the Beatitudes begins with the statement, “Blessed are” which can also be translated, “Happy are” or “Joyful are.” Six of the Beatitudes promise a future reward while two, “Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit” (v. 3) and “Blessed are the Persecuted” (v.10) promise a present-tense blessing.

“God blesses those who are poor” is sometimes thought of as God’s concern for the economic poor. While God certainly cares deeply for all people, including the poor, the widows and orphans, Jesus has in mind here the poor in spirit. Tom Long calls Jesus’ intended audience “spiritual beggars,” and I think that is entirely appropriate (Matthew, Thomas G. Long, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville 1997, page 48). When we are spiritual beggars, we recognize we need help; we recognize we can’t save ourselves, no matter what we do. All we can do is plead for mercy. Jesus says this is the key to our right-standing relationship with God.

Speaking to the spiritual beggars, Jesus says the Kingdom of God is theirs. Now. This instant. No wonder these spiritual beggars are blessed, joyful and happy. Noted theologian and scholar Bishop N.T. Wright says that the heart of the gospel is the fact that “what is true for the Messiah is true of his people.” Wright explains this truth this way: “the Messiah died, so his people die in him, sharing his suffering; the Messiah rose again, so his people rise again in him, knowing the power of the resurrection to comfort and heal, already in present time, and cherishing the hope that one day they will be given new, resurrection bodies like the one the Messiah himself has now” (Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone 2 Corinthians (London, SPCK) p.4). Spiritual beggars are given the same right standing with God as that which Jesus enjoys. Now. This instant. Again, no wonder these spiritual beggars are blessed, joyful and happy.

My Takeaway: Jesus’ people do not have some Pollyanna, head-in-the clouds, blind faith. Jesus’ people are most assuredly aware of the state of this world. We see the same abuses, oppression, war, sickness, droughts, and famines as the rest of the world, but we also are convinced of the coming Kingdom of God when God will make all things right. This faith in the return of Christ brings a present experience of God “our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:3b-4 NLT).

Hallelujah and amen!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, January 15, 2024

Our Father

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 15, 2024

Our Father

Into your hand I commit my spirit;

you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

Psalm 31:5 NRSV

Sometimes, when Jesus quoted scripture, he added his own interpretation. We see this in Psalm 8:2, “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength.” At Matthew 21:16, Jesus quotes this verse saying, “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’”

Jesus also added his interpretation to Psalm 31. Verse five states, “Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.” In Jesus’ final cry from the Cross, he quotes this verse as, “‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ The expression, O LORD was a formal, very reverent, rendering of the name of God. On the Cross, Jesus changed this expression to, Father, and expressed the intimacy of parent and child.

Throughout Psalm 31, David is expressing his trust in God as he moves immediately from petition to affirmation: “Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger” (Psalm 31:2b-3 NLT). David’s foundation for trust is not in his own worthiness to receive God’s care; rather, his foundation is the grace of God.

Over and over again, David communicates the wonders of trusting in God’s care: “But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands. How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection. Praise the Lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe. Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him. So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” (Psalm 31:14, 19, 21, 23, 24 NLT).

My Takeaway: Jesus takes all these gracious expressions for the love and care of God and teaches us to come before God’s throne, as his children, praying, “Our Father, who art in heaven . . .”

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, January 12, 2024

Joy Comes With The Morning

Meditations for Ragamuffins

January 12, 2024

Joy Comes With The Morning

“weeping may stay for the night,

but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

Psalm 30:5

The instructions before verse one of Psalm 30 refer to the dedication of the Temple. From about 160 B.C., the Jews included this psalm in their celebration of Hanukkah. Judas Maccabaeus led Israel against a foreign army that had invaded Israel and defeated them. Maccabaeus led the people to purify the Temple and to hold a festival every year to commemorate the rededication of the Temple. This festival, Hanukkah, which means dedication, is held at a time on the Jewish calendar that is close to our December 25 date.

When David wrote this psalm, he was remembering all the suffering and the feelings of abandonment he experienced during the period King Saul was pursuing him across all of Israel. The people of Israel had very similar feelings under the oppression of the foreign invaders, so this psalm was an appropriate expression of their joy when the yoke of the oppressors was broken.

The author of the New Testament letter, Hebrews, calls us to look “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV). When I read that verse, I recall the encouraging prose of Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (NLT)

My Takeaway: David, in Psalm 30, gives us the same encouragement as the writer of Hebrews. In times of sickness or distress, we are encouraged to keep our eyes on Jesus. When we do, we can sing with the psalmist,

You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.

LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

Psalm 30:11-12

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

The God of Now-Here

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

How Beautiful Is The One Who Made Us!

Monday, January 29, 2024

His Grace Is All I Need

Friday, January 26, 2024

To Know Christ

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Blessed are the Persecuted

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

Monday, January 22, 2024

Blessed Are the Merciful

Friday, January 19, 2024

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger for Righteousness

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Blessed Are The Meek

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Monday, January 15, 2024

Our Father

Friday, January 12, 2024

Joy Comes With The Morning

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