September 26, 2023
Dear Friends,
Here’s a great way to put the Bible stories to use: ask yourself, “Where have I heard this before?”
Let me explain –
The homeschool co-op this year is working on memorizing Scripture, and we started with Psalm 112. Have a quick read:
[1] Praise the LORD!
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
[2] His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
[3] Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
[4] Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
[5] It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
[6] For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
[7] He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
[8] His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
[9] He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
[10] The wicked man sees it and is angry;
he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
the desire of the wicked will perish!
This is a beautiful Psalm about two kinds of men: a righteous man and a wicked man. Notice how the first nine verses are about the righteous man, and just the last verse is about the wicked man.
What is the wicked man like? Well, he gets angry when he sees the righteous man doing righteous things and being blessed by God. He gets angry and then he perishes.
Where have you heard that before? Can you think of any Bible Stories where a wicked man gets angry because of a righteous man doing righteous things and being blessed by God? Here’s one: think of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4).
How about the righteous man – what is he like? There’s a lot there! Here are a few traits to start with: he fears the LORD; he has mighty offspring; he does justice; he’s not afraid of bad news; he gives to the poor.
Where have you heard that before? Just take the one about bad news. Can you think of a Bible Story where a righteous man is not afraid of bad news? I’m thinking right away of Daniel 6: when Daniel hears the king’s decree that outlaws prayer, what does he do? Well, he just keeps on praying. He is not afraid of bad news!
God bless and keep you,
Pr. Buchs
COMING EVENTS:
Wednesday, September 27 @ 6pm – Small Catechism Class
Tuesday, October 10 @ 7pm – LWML Bible Study & Meeting
Saturday, October 14 – Fall Bazaar