Through-the-Bible Thoughts

Every day that I have the privilege to be in God's Word is a blessing beyond description, but what I take away from the Word is different each day.  Some days are full of rich, deep, beautiful truth, and other days are more about the discipline of dryness-- pursuing God because of who He is, not because of what He gives me.  Today, though, was a particularly fruitful day with my Through-the-Bible reading.  Here is some of what the Holy Spirit was teaching me and reminding me of:

Psalm 34:2- "My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad."

This is a description of "humble boasting"-- a deliberate bragging that points away from oneself.  It's the same thing that God commanded in Jeremiah 9-- "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the might man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth."  Or like what Paul said in Galatians 6-- "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."  What we are to boast about really has nothing to do with us; it's about openly celebrating the character of God and the omnipotent mercy that has been shown to sinners like us.  I want to become, in this sense, a more boastful person.

Acts 20:24- "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus Christ, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

Oh, how I want this passion!  I don't want to waste my life by considering it valuable, but I want to say with Paul that the most valuable truth that I must commit myself to is "the gospel of the grace of God."  Sometimes I think I've touched that passion, and other times I realize that I have not even scratched the surface of what it means to be so self-forgetful and consumed with the cause of Christ.  I'm not there, but oh how I want to be there!

Acts 20:26-27- "I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."

This is what Paul said to the elders of the Ephesian church after spending three years with them.  God has been continually reminding me of this verse, and of the passage in Ezekiel 3 which Paul is referencing, in relation to my own three-year ministry at Center Presbyterian Church.  I'll be leaving when I graduate in May, and when I go, will I be able to say this?  I have been given the task to testify to the gospel of the grace of God, to declare the whole counsel of God in Bible study and youth group; will I complete my task?  The stakes are dangerously high; if I shrink from teaching difficult or unpopular truth and thus leave them in their sin, God will hold me accountable for their souls.  This is a frightening and sobering prospect, and it drives me to be blood-earnest with them, especially with the youth group kids.  When I leave, I want to be able to say with all seriousness that the kids understand, "I am innocent of the blood of all of you."  Will those words make sense in my ministry?  I pray they will.