May 5

OT – Judges 21:1-Ruth 1:22
Thank goodness we are leaving Judges! Okay, I take back every word I said in praise of it. I am exhausted with how utterly awful people can be to one another even those they ‘supposedly’ care for.
What kind of adviser would tell a group of men to lie in wait for girls merely to get around a stupid oath? They didn’t keep half the oaths they made to God anyway??? They worshiped a bunch of idols. Why on earth did they think kidnapping would be acceptable to reneging on their stupid oath.
OHHHHHH!

NT – John 4:4-42
The opening verse of our scripture today “Now he (Jesus) had to go through Samaria.” Is deceitful. The verb ‘had’ in Greek is frequently translated ‘commanded’. Which begs the question, who commanded? God, of course. This story is one long exposition on Jesus’ obedience characteristic and how he changed lives. It also explains why the apostles fled to Samaria when the Jewish ruling council kicked them out from Jerusalem. That story is in Acts 8.
If you want to know the back story on why Jesus had to be commanded to walk through Samaria, click HERE.
Like so many other stories in John, this one starts with word play. Living water to the Samaritan woman, meant something entirely different than what it meant to Jesus. Jesus played with her for a little longer, doing his ‘parlor trick’ thing of knowing more about that person than he should have. This set her for the declaration that he WAS the Messiah and off she went to change the Samaritans.
His disciples, the ones who day in and day out saw who and what he was, were caught by the same word play. How amazing.

Psalm 105
I heard a brief part of radio statement talking about poems and how to make them relate to you. The person making the broadcast said that you should make YOURSELF the subject of the poem. Then and only then would you be able to ‘crawl into’ the poem. She went on to talk about other methods but that one really stuck with me.
Let’s look at today’s psalm.
Give thanks to the Lord, Sylvia, call upon his name.
Make known to all you encounter what he has done for you, Sylvia.
Sing to him, sing praise to him,
Tell of all his wonderful acts of salvation for you, Sylvia.
Glory in his holy name;
Let the hearts of those who encounter you know you praise the Lord.
Sylvia, when you need help, look to the Lord for strength first and always.
Now, you do it!
Changes it doesn’t it?
These are just like the ‘had’ in NT. Commands to do these things. And not in a little way.
So, tomorrow, I am going to pick one, just one (you know how I LOVE babysteps…) and see how it goes.
I am picking “Let the hearts of those who encounter you know you praise the Lord.” Not exactly sure how I will do that just yet. Will report tomorrow.

In the meantime, be well, be strong.