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Today’s reading: Psalms 99

Each one of us has a purpose. Each one of us has been set aside for a particular work that God has for us. Many of us do not understand what the purpose God has for us in this life. Sometimes others have to see your purpose and give you insight and direction on how to live out God‘s purpose in you.

 

One of the best examples that I can think of for being set aside for a purpose is a birthday cake.

Many of us have experienced a birthday cake or have had a birthday cake for our celebrations. These cakes are special, but they are simple in their creation.  Many times the cakes are chosen by the flavor and then the icing. The one thing that makes them a birthday cake is the decoration. Once the decoration has been done, then it becomes special. It has become set apart from the other cakes.

One of the most special things about a birthday cake is not the decorations or the flavor, but it is how you use the cake. This is a celebration item that is shared with others. When we have a birthday cake, it is not for one person, but it is to be celebrated with others.  The more that you can celebrate and share,  the more enriched and fulfilling the lives of others will be.

Many times we believe that when we are set aside or set apart that we need to be isolated. We try to keep that “special-ness”within us. God’s true purpose in giving this gift to us is to share His gifts with others. When we share these gifts with others, then everybody begins to see His presence. Everyone begins to see His love. Everyone begins to see the awesomeness of Him.

 

In this week’s passage, we are seeing God is holy.

“Let them praise your great and awesome name!

Holy is he! ….

Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool!

Holy is he!….

Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain;

for the Lord our God is holy!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭99‬:‭3‬, ‭5‬, ‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 

David is showing that God is Holy. He says it three times in this psalm.  When something is repeated three times in the Bible it has a big meaning.  David is setting God apart from everything that he knows.  He is creating the cadence of holiness. Kadosh is the Hebrew word for Holy, which translates into being set apart. 

This set apart for Holiness is echoed in Isaiah with the same cadence as well.

And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 

God is Holy.  The earth and the people and the angels proclaim his Holiness.  This is evident in these and other scriptures. 

It is also true that God’s love and grace has created in us a reflection of his holiness.  God’s holiness is supreme, but he has called us to be holy or set apart as well. 

This responsibility on us is not to become isolated and arrogant in our relationship, but it pulls us to share it with others. 

God’s holiness has created something special in us and we have to continue to share it with others because that is the best part like the cake.

Be blessed

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV) But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love steadfastness, gentleness – 1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV)

Pursue righteousness
Flee compromise, even though it feels easier.

Pursue Godliness
Flee old habits when they hum their familiar song.

Pursue faith
Flee doubt when it offers simple answers.

Pursue love
Flee self-protection when it builds thicker walls.

Pursue steadfastness
Flee quitting when it feels like relief.

Pursue gentleness
Flee anger when it promises power.

1 Timothy Chapter 5

In this chapter, Paul is giving his mentee (Timothy) some practical advice for guiding the church.  Upon reading through the chapter, my mind went straight to the 10 commandments.  Honor your Father and Mother.  Then it was, treat those as you wish to be treated.  Paul gets a little more specific with Timothy here, though.  He brings attention to the older man, the widows, and the elders and how we and the church should be caring and treating them.

THE OLDER MAN – Don’t rebuke the older man but treat him as if he was your father.  This is easy isn’t it?  Look around, do you see everyone else doing this??  If we aren’t, we need to start.  The world today needs to get back to showing a little more respect to one another and not just the ‘older man’.  I am sure we call all agree some of that has been lost in translation of late.  So let us listen to Paul here and work harder at treating people like family, older men and women like fathers and mothers and younger men and women like brothers and sisters.  Start on Sunday mornings at church and carrying it into the beginning of the week at work with those around you.  Continue to treat everyone with dignity, care and genuine love and not favoritism and partiality.

THE WIDOWS – In versus 3-16, Paul is talking about caring for widows and those in need like family.  He goes more into detail on what types of widows and who is someone that is really in need.  He describes that the certain care that should be given based on the relationship you have with that person.  We need to make sure that we are caring for our immediate family first and foremost if we can do so, family should not be our neighbor’s sole responsibility.  It becomes the church’s responsibility more so when someone doesn’t have anyone else to help them.  He also warns against those who are taking advantage of the system, aka those who live carelessly and are more than capable of taking care of themselves.  Basically, be generous, but also wise and fair.  Help those that truly need it, family first, and pay close attention to those who have lived faithfully and have served others when they had the chance.

THE ELDERS – When Paul talks about ‘the elders’ he is not referencing Grandma and Grandpa.  This is directed to leader in and of the church.  Those who teach and preach.  If there is a rumor being spread about an elder, don’t be the one to just continue the gossip.  But if the gossip is true and witnessed by others, then they need to be corrected publicy and held accountable.  I am not sure if this is really happening in 2025 like Paul means it here, but honestly I think it needs to make a comeback.  Interpretation and division have grown vast over time and there is some type of correcting that needs to take place to re-center many churches today.  Just because someone is an elder in the church today doesn’t necessarily mean they deserve it or should be.  Elders should be chosen without bias or favoritism and they themselves should keep these instructions moving forward.  So, support good leaders, handle conflicts fairly, and don’t let gossip or bias cloud your judgment.  Everyone’s true character eventually will show through.

As you go forward, keep in mind the integrity, responsibility and respect we should be expressing toward those in our lives.  Treat others like you want to be treated.  Take care of those in need, especially those you know who need it and can’t do it on their own.  Honor the faithful and hold leaders in the church accountable and just.  And live in a way that reflects wisdom and truth and remember, what’s done in the dark will be brought to the light.

 

The book of Timothy was likely written around 62 to 64 AD, shortly after Paul’s first imprisonment. Paul was writing to his protege’ and “spiritual son” Timothy who was leading the church in Ephesus.

1 Timothy 3 offers timeless guidance on the kind of character God desires in those who lead His people—and, by extension, in every believer. Paul lists qualities for overseers and deacons such as being above reproach, self-controlled, faithful in marriage, temperate, gentle, and good managers of their households. While written for church leadership, these traits model Christian maturity and integrity in all areas of life. The passage reminds us that spiritual influence begins with personal character, not position or charisma.

For everyday life, this means living with consistency—what we are in private should match what we claim in public. It challenges us to pursue humility, self-discipline, and respect for others. Our homes become the first testing ground for faithfulness and stewardship, showing that godly leadership starts in small, unseen acts of service.

Paul also stresses that the church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth,” grounding our behavior in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our conduct reflects the reality of that truth to the world. Whether leading a family, workplace, or ministry, we are called to be examples of grace and integrity that point others to Christ.

In essence, 1 Timothy 3 calls us to a life of credibility, compassion, and conviction—living in such a way that Christ’s character is visible through ours, and our influence builds up the people and communities God has entrusted to us.

Psalm 97

God is King. Jesus is King. Holy Spirit is King. Does your life reflect that? Who calls the shots?

Psalm 97 is a royal psalm declaring God’s justice, sovereignty, and righteousness. The first five verses set the scene as you would in an intense thriller movie. Dark clouds are surrounding him, the base of His throne is righteousness and justice, fire spreads ahead of Him and destroys His enemies, lighting flashes, and finally mountains melt. If you don’t have a picture of the awesomeness of God after reading those verses, I’m not sure you ever will.

Verse 6 reminds me of Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s in all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein”. God is sovereign. The heavens declare His righteousness and all the people’s see His glory!

Idolatry has always been a practice throughout all of world history. The heart of flesh that we all have is futile and exceedingly wicked (Jer. 17:9). Humanity always wants to worship something they can see and handle. We know that any idol is utterly useless (Ps. 115:4-8). This same line of thinking is what led Israel to want a king and is what led Catholicism to have a pope. We want to see our “king” with our own eyes. We want him to protect us and to speak for us. We want to be able to actually see him, not just see the evidence of Him. Don’t put your trust in the pope, in any king other than THE KING!

Know that God still reigns and is still sovereign. The political climate may lead us to think that there can’t be a God who is directing all authority, but there is. His name is Jesus. Obey His commandments for He is King. You can’t call Him King if you don’t obey Him. Someday, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess. Don’t wait until that day, for it will be too late. Trust in Jesus today and obey Him.

 

Today’s Reading : Psalms 95

Throughout our daily conversations, we use familiar phrases and words to relate our emotions and our situations. These phrases are part of our common speech.  These are commonplace when you’re speaking to people who have similar backgrounds. As an example, this past Halloween evening, while giving out candy I met my friend and their child.  When I saw them I stated  “you made out like a bandit“. The dad laughed and the child looked at me with confusion.  The dad and I are from the same generation. I was congratulating the child on a very productive trick-or-treating and  then I had to explain it that he got a lot of candy and it was a good thing.

Sometimes the words and phrases that we use can have a hidden meaning or a hidden message. It’s about the audience and the speaker. The speaker has to know the audience and has to direct the information and the language to them. When the message is not clear a disconnect happens and then there is a loss in translation or a point of confusion due to the hidden messages.

In today’s passage,  we see the author’s gratefulness and  appreciation for the deliverance and the joy that God has given the people. But as you read through the psalms, there are hidden messages that we might not see, but are  familiar to the people of Israel. That’s where we have to dive deeper and to see the true meaning of the scripture and the verses.

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭95‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.””

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭95‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In these sections we can see the gratitude and the happiness that we have for God and for the salvation that is given to us.  

In the latter sections, we have the hidden messages. 

Meribah is the place where the newly freed people of Israel became mad at God and began to quarrel (the direct translation of Meribah) about God’s provision and promises. 

This is where they began to test, Massah, God’s ability to fulfill the promise.  They allowed their own understanding to override God’s promises.  They hardened their hearts and attempted to do things on their own.  This testing didn’t happen just once but continuously throughout their 40 year journey. Even Moses was susceptible to doing things his way, and this prevented him from going into the promised land.

God has many things ready for us and has many things promised to us. We all have questioned God’s provisions and God’s ability to fulfill his promises. When God has promised these things to us and we have a relationship with Him, we have to be able to wait until his promises are fulfilled.  

Let us pray that God allows us to see the hidden messages that He has in store for us. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to give us comfort in the times when we feel unsettled and anxious about the promises that He has in store for us. May we pray that God continues to give us refreshment and give us peace in the times of our anxiety and our struggles.

Be blessed

“What comes into your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.” ~ A.W. Tozer

Psalm 94 serves as a reminder for me about who God is. Sometimes we forget. Maybe you’ve been shunned or put down. Maybe “good people” have treated you unfairly, or you were left out — not invited to the table, not included in the group.

In those moments, we might assume it’s discipline. We think, “I deserve this because of what I’ve done.” But statements like that reveal a lot about what we actually believe about God. If we see Him as only just, then we might interpret hardship as punishment, it’s His justice being served. If we believe we must be good to earn His favor, then we assume our suffering is somehow keeping us in His grace.

But Psalm 94 paints a different picture. It reveals several encouraging truths, even in hardship, about God: His steadfast love (v.18), His active consolation (v.19), and His role as our stronghold and rock of refuge (v.22). The psalmist doesn’t describe a God who punishes His children, but rather One who holds them steady when they’re about to slip.

Today, we also remember another expression of God’s character, the ultimate gift of Jesus. Because justice demands a price, God sent His Son to pay it in full.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” — Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)

Through Jesus, justice was satisfied and mercy was magnified.