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I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from You."[Psalm 16:2]"I'm sorry," I said.
"It's all good," came the response. But it really wasn't, was it? If it was all good, why apologize? If it was bad, surely more was needed than a casual "It's all good" response. Goodness, peace, harmony, love, joy -- today, many of us have kind of reduced these powerful words to generic statements that often times miss the point. And I think that's what our Psalm is speaking about today.
Say it with me, "I say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; I have no good thing apart from You.'"
Do you believe that? Do you realize the Psalmist is saying that nothing is all good until it is connected or reconnected to God? I have no good apart from God. Do you believe that? Do you believe the only good in your life is God? Or do you consider that your life is filled with other good things, one of which may or may not be God? Perhaps you place Him as the highest good. Or perhaps you aren't totally convinced He is really that good at all.
The Psalmist is reminding us that when it comes to love, to life, to success, to perseverance, we were created and redeemed to be with God. He is our life; He is the Source of love. He is the One who is always with us, always seeking our best. We were not created or redeemed to go it alone.
In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell tells the story of Christopher Langan, a genius with a staggering IQ of 195. (For some perspective, Einstein's IQ was 150.) During high school, Langan could ace any foreign language test by skimming the textbook two to three minutes before the exam. He got a perfect score on his SAT, even though at one point he fell asleep.
Even so, Langan never put his exceptional gifts to use and ended up working on a horse farm in rural Missouri. According to Gladwell, Langan never had a community to help him capitalize on his gifts. He never became anything near what he was gifted to be.
Gladwell summarizes the story of Langan in one sentence: "He had to make his way alone, and no one -- not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses -- ever makes it alone."
We weren't created and redeemed to go it alone! And because of the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf, you and I don't have to. Life is good because of Jesus' work. His life, His death and resurrection -- it connected us back to what makes things good: our relationship to God. In fact, Jesus is not just merely an example of how to live in light of the goodness of God. Jesus is God's goodness given to you. In place of your sin, God gives you His goodness in Christ. Faith delivers you to God's good gift of forgiveness in Christ. Faith in Christ grasps onto the promises of God's good grace in Jesus.
God's goodness is yours because of Christ. In fact, knowing Him isn't just good, it's the best. It's not generic; it's a personal, penetrating, persevering goodness that endures! Yes, indeed, it's all good.
THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to see that Your goodness is the key to my life, my joy, my strength to be useful in Your hands in service to others! Amen!
In Christ,Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Readings: Leviticus 8-10; Mark 6:30-56
Leviticus 8:1 (iv) Adonai said to Moshe, 2 “Take Aharon and his sons with him, the garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket of matzah; 3 and assemble the entire community at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” 4 Moshe did as Adonai ordered him, and the community was assembled at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 5 Moshe said to the community, “This is what Adonai has ordered to be done.”
6 Moshe brought Aharon and his sons, washed them with water, 7 put the tunic on him, wrapped the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, put the ritual vest on him, wrapped around him the decorated belt and fastened the vest to him with it. 8 He put the breastplate on him, and on the breastplate he put the urim and tumim. 9 He set the turban on his head, and on the front of the turban he affixed the gold plate, the holy ornament, as Adonai had ordered Moshe.
10 Then Moshe took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, thus consecrating them. 11 He sprinkled some on the altar seven times, anointing the altar with all its utensils and the basin with its base, to consecrate them. 12 He poured some of the anointing oil on Aharon’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him. 13 Moshe brought Aharon’s sons, clothed them with tunics, wrapped sashes on them and put headgear on them, as Adonai had ordered Moshe.
(v) 14 Then the young bull for the sin offering was brought, and Aharon and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull for the sin offering. 15 After it had been slaughtered, Moshe took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar all the way around with his finger, thus purifying the altar. The remaining blood he poured out at the base of the altar and consecrated it, to make atonement for it. 16 Moshe took all the fat on the inner organs, the covering of the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and made it go up in smoke on the altar. 17 But the bull, its hide, its flesh and its dung were taken outside the camp and burned up completely, as Adonai had ordered Moshe.
18 Next, the ram for the burnt offering was presented. Aharon and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram; 19 and after it had been slaughtered, Moshe splashed the blood on all sides of the altar. 20 When the ram had been cut in pieces, Moshe made the head, the pieces and the fat go up in smoke. 21 When the inner organs and the lower parts of the legs had been washed with water, Moshe made the entire ram go up in smoke on the altar; it was a burnt offering giving a fragrant aroma, an offering made by fire to Adonai — as Adonai had ordered Moshe.
(vi) 22 Then the other ram was presented, the ram of consecration; Aharon and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23 After it had been slaughtered, Moshe took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aharon’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Next Aharon’s sons were brought, and Moshe put some of the blood on the tips of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; then Moshe splashed the blood on all sides of the altar. 25 He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat covering the inner organs, the covering of the liver, the two kidneys with their fat, and the right thigh. 26 From the basket of matzah that was before Adonai he took one piece of matzah, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat and on the right thigh. 27 Then he put it all in Aharon’s hands and in the hands of his sons and waved them as a wave offering before Adonai. 28 Moshe took them out of their hands and made them go up in smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering; they were a consecration offering giving a fragrant aroma; an offering made by fire to Adonai. 29 Moshe took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before Adonai; it was Moshe’s portion of the ram of consecration — as Adonai had ordered Moshe.
(vii) 30 Moshe took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aharon and his clothing, and on his sons with him and their clothing, and consecrated Aharon and his clothing together with his sons and their clothing.
31 Moshe said to Aharon and his sons, “Boil the meat at the door of the tent of meeting; and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of consecration, as I ordered when I said that Aharon and his sons are to eat it. 32 Whatever is left over of the meat and bread you are to burn up completely. (Maftir) 33 You are not to go out from the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are over; since Adonai will be consecrating you for seven days. 34 He ordered done what has been done today, in order to make atonement for you. 35 You are to remain at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days, thereby obeying what Adonai ordered done, so that you may not die. For this is what I was ordered.” 36 Aharon and his sons did all the things which Adonai ordered through Moshe.
9:1 On the eighth day, Moshe called Aharon, his sons and the leaders of Isra’el, 2 and said to Aharon, “Take a male calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defect, and offer them before Adonai. 3 Then tell the people of Isra’el, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering and a calf and a lamb, both a year old and without defect, for a burnt offering, 4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before Adonai; also a grain offering mixed with olive oil — because today Adonai is going to appear to you.’” 5 They brought what Moshe had ordered before the tent of meeting, and the whole community approached and stood before Adonai.
6 Moshe said, “This is what Adonai has ordered you to do, so that the glory of Adonai will appear to you.” 7 Moshe told Aharon, “Approach the altar, offer your sin offering and burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and the people. Then present the offering of the people and make atonement for them, as Adonai ordered.” 8 So Aharon approached the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering which was for himself. 9 The sons of Aharon presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; then he poured out the blood at the base of the altar. 10 But the fat, the kidneys and the covering of the liver of the sin offering he made go up in smoke on the altar, as Adonai had ordered Moshe. 11 The meat and the skin were burned up completely outside the camp.
12 Next he slaughtered the burnt offering; Aharon’s sons brought him the blood, and he splashed it against all sides of the altar. 13 They brought him the burnt offering, piece by piece, and the head; and he made them go up in smoke on the altar. 14 He washed the inner organs and the lower parts of the legs and made them go up in smoke on top of the burnt offering on the altar.
15 Then the people’s offering was presented. He took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, slaughtered it and offered it for sin, like the earlier sin offering. 16 The burnt offering was presented, and he offered it in the prescribed manner. (ii) 17 The grain offering was presented; he took a handful of it and made it go up in smoke on the altar, in addition to the morning’s burnt offering. 18 He slaughtered the ox and the ram, the people’s sacrifice as peace offerings; Aharon’s sons brought him the blood, which he splashed against all sides of the altar, 19 and the fat of the ox and of the ram — the fat tail, the fat which covers the inner organs, the kidneys and the covering of the liver. 20 They put the fat on the breasts, and he made the fat go up in smoke on the altar. 21 The breasts and right thigh Aharon waved as a wave offering before Adonai, as Moshe had ordered.
22 Aharon raised his hands toward the people, blessed them and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering and the peace offerings. 23 Moshe and Aharon entered the tent of meeting, came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of Adonai appeared to all the people! (iii) 24 Fire came forth from the presence of Adonai, consuming the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
10:1 But Nadav and Avihu, sons of Aharon, each took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and offered unauthorized fire before Adonai, something he had not ordered them to do. 2 At this, fire came forth from the presence of Adonai and consumed them, so that they died in the presence of Adonai. 3 Moshe said to Aharon, “This is what Adonai said:
‘Through those who are near me I will be consecrated,
and before all the people I will be glorified.’”
Aharon kept silent.
4 Moshe called Misha’el and Eltzafan, sons of ‘Uzi’el Aharon’s uncle, and told them, “Come here, and carry your cousins away from in front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” 5 They approached and carried them in their tunics out of the camp, as Moshe had said.
6 Then Moshe told Aharon and his sons El‘azar and Itamar, “Don’t unbind your hair or tear your clothes in mourning, so that you won’t die and so that Adonai won’t be angry with the entire community. Rather, let your kinsmen — the whole house of Isra’el — mourn, because of the destruction Adonai brought about with his fire. 7 Moreover, don’t leave the entrance to the tent of meeting, or you will die, because Adonai’s anointing oil is on you.”
8 Adonai said to Aharon, 9 “Don’t drink any wine or other intoxicating liquor, neither you nor your sons with you, when you enter the tent of meeting, so that you will not die. This is to be a permanent regulation through all your generations, 10 so that you will distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; 11 and so that you will teach the people of Isra’el all the laws Adonai has told them through Moshe.”
(iv) 12 Moshe said to Aharon and to El‘azar and Itamar, his remaining sons, “Take the grain offering left from the offerings for Adonai made by fire, and eat it without leaven next to the altar, because it is especially holy. 13 Eat it in a holy place, because it is your and your sons’ share of the offerings for Adonai made by fire; for this is what I have been ordered. 14 The breast that was waved and the thigh that was raised you are to eat in a clean place — you, your sons and your daughters with you; for these are given as your and your children’s share of the sacrifices of the peace offerings presented by the people of Isra’el. 15 They are to bring the raised thigh and the waved breast, along with the offerings of fat made by fire, and wave it as a wave offering before Adonai; then it will belong to you and your descendants with you as your perpetual share, as Adonai has ordered.”
(v) 16 Then Moshe carefully investigated what had happened to the goat of the sin offering and discovered that it had been burned up. He became angry with El‘azar and Itamar, the remaining sons of Aharon, and asked, 17 “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the area of the sanctuary, since it is especially holy? He gave it to you to take away the guilt of the community, to make atonement for them before Adonai. 18 Look! Its blood wasn’t brought into the sanctuary! You should have eaten it there in the sanctuary, as I ordered.” 19 Aharon answered Moshe, “Even though they offered their sin offering and burnt offering today, things like these have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have pleased Adonai?” 20 On hearing this reply, Moshe was satisfied.
Mark 6:30 Those who had been sent out rejoined Yeshua and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 There were so many people coming and going that they couldn’t even take time to eat, so he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a place where we can be alone, and you can get some rest.” 32 They went off by themselves to an isolated spot; 33 but many people, seeing them leave and recognizing them, ran ahead on foot from all the towns and got there first. 34 When Yeshua came ashore, he saw a huge crowd. Filled with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time, the hour was late. The talmidim came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s getting late. 36 Send the people away, so that they can go and buy food for themselves in the farms and towns around here.” 37 But he answered them, “Give them something to eat, yourselves!” They replied, “We are to go and spend thousands on bread, and give it to them to eat?” 38 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and check.” When they had found out, they said, “Five. And two fish.” 39 Then he ordered all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 They sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. 41 Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up toward heaven, made a b’rakhah. Next he broke up the loaves and began giving them to the talmidim to distribute. He also divided up the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate as much as they wanted, 43 and they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces and fish. 44 Those who ate the loaves numbered five thousand men.
45 Immediately Yeshua had his talmidim get in the boat and go on ahead of him toward the other side of the lake, toward Beit-Tzaidah, while he sent the crowds away. 46 After he had left them, he went into the hills to pray. 47 When night came, the boat was out on the lake, and he was by himself on land. 48 He saw that they were having difficulty rowing, because the wind was against them; so at around four o’clock in the morning he came toward them, walking on the lake! He meant to come alongside them; 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and let out a shriek; 50 for they had all seen him and were terrified. However, he spoke to them. “Courage,” he said, “it is I. Stop being afraid!” 51 He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves; on the contrary, their hearts had been made stone-like.
53 After they had made the crossing, they landed at Ginosar and anchored. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized him 55 and began running around throughout that whole region and bringing sick people on their stretchers to any place where they heard he was. 56 Wherever he went, in towns, cities or country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the tzitzit on his robe, and all who touched it were healed.
-------Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
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