February 14

OT – The reference to ‘lampstands’ rang a bell from last year’s PW study on Revelation. I got my book and sure enough, look at Rev 1:12, golden lampstands – 7 of them! They represent the 7 churches that John is writing to – some good news, some chiding. How cool is that!! But there are 7 lamps on the Tabernacle lampstand. I have this incredible feeling that by the time we get to Revelation in December, so much of that book will be – well, okay, of course he is speaking about -- whatever. And I want you to know that I MADE myself read this section.
I also should admit that I was not able to picture the lampstand. It was only after I went searching for an image for this post that I realized the lampstand was a Menorah. Yes, sometimes I am obtuse. The reason Jews light the Menorah at Hanukkah is because that was what was lit in the Temple that lasted 7 days instead of one with the remaining oil!! And why was it in the Temple? Well, because God told Moses to put one there!
Friends, do not give up. Don’t glaze your eyes over. Read half a chapter and ask yourself some questions to make sure you are really absorbing it. You never know where this stuff may pop up again or in what context. Could win you some money on Jeopardy!

NT -- This is our last day in Matthew. Tomorrow, I will have a short quiz for you to take to see how much you have retained. I had forgotten how abruptly this gospel ended. I always like stories that show you the ‘after’ of the crisis. This does not give us that. We will have to wait for Luke and John for those stories. But I did want to reflect for a moment on what is called The Great Commission (vs. 19-20).
One of the purposes of doing this blog was to do that for me. I had envisioned that unschooled in the Bible, maybe even not Christians, might stumble into this and decide to read the Word alongside of me and the others. I don’t do evangelism very well. But I do like to study and I thought this might be a way to combine.
Every day, this blog gets 3 hits from Russia and 1 from Germany. I don’t know anyone in Russia or Germany, currently. I also am not sure of who the 30-40 hits I get from the USA are. Maybe you could comment and introduce yourself? Or feel free to lurk. I hope that what I am writing is encouraging you in your faith journey. I know that this study is pushing me along in mine. And I am thrilled that Jesus is with me, to the very end of the age!

Psalm 34 is a sensory poem. Yesterday, the author was praising with his lips, seeking and finding the Lord, tasting and finding the Lord was good. Today, he is with the children, listening, speaking, and having the eyes and the ears of the Lord upon him. The mood of this psalm is definitely upbeat. It is filled with gratitude and delight of the saved.
While I have heard bits of this psalm, (for sure, the taste and see that the Lord is good), I don’t think I have ever read the whole thing. I find it slightly disjointed as if several were put together that had roughly the same slant. It makes me wish I could read Hebrew and see if it was just the way it was translated.
I went to Biblegateway.com and looked it up. This is the heading of the Psalm!! It is not in my Bible in a Year book!!
Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.
All I have to say is OK.

This is from St Augustine:
Watch, O Lord, with those who wake,
or watch, or weep tonight,
and give Your Angels and Saints charge over those who
sleep.
Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ.
Rest Your weary ones,
Bless Your dying ones,
Soothe Your suffering ones,
pity Your afflicted ones,
Shield Your joyous ones,
And all for Your love's sake.

Amen.