21 February 2019 — Seventh Thursday after Epiphany

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contains a lot of wisdom regarding walking well with God. It, of course, doesn’t imply that our walk will be perfect. It does help provide a framework to understand the fallen and sin-filled world around us, and how we are to relate with and view God. While the majority of the Psalm talks about the evil/wicket/unrighteous, it really is about how we are to respond to that. Fundamentally, our perspective of God directly affects our perspective of the world, and how we interact with it. This means that we need to regularly reflect on what we think about God. As life happens, often our views of God change, mature, sway, are challenged, or fall apart (especially in the extreme perspectives of God that are out there).

Moses, the great Jewish leader/prophet (especially from the Jewish perspective), was a very down-to-earth guy. We know much of his self-view, his concerns, his struggles, his successes, and his failures. Moses is the only one who had such a personal interaction with God, that he was physically changed (his face glowed brightly). Others had very personal relationships with God, but Moses’ relationship was so personal that it resulted in a physical transformation.¹ This is important to understand as Elijah had a similar experience, but it was not the same. Moses was also pretty transparent with God. We all transparent to God (he can see our hearts). We aren’t always transparent (honest, straightforward, blunt) with God. Moses was presented with a pretty difficult job, and he (basically) said, prove it with action. God did.

Now, however, we find a verse that with the wrong perspective of God becomes very troublesome. “…I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” () This sounds incredibly harsh, arbitrary, and fickle. Depending on your view of God, this could sound like its all good (God has compassion on everyone). It could sound all bad (God is the punisher and destroyer). It could sound undefined. It could be just plain confusing. Coming to terms with this verse is significant in one’s relationship with God.

Christian Standard Bible. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017. Print.

¹Just an aside, yes, Jesus would qualify under this definition, too, but Jesus is a very different case, being God and all.

This is why today’s devotional started with and ends with . They provide the context for . We’ve covered , but Romans refines further. is really about those whose primary defining relationship is with God, and those whose primary defining relationship is with the world. Yet, leaves room for interpretation. In , Paul helps us narrow it down (but still leave room for people differences and a lot of grace). Paul says that you are either in Jesus, or you are not. God will have mercy and compassion on those that are in Jesus. Those outside of that assurance? That’s something else entirely. One is a surety. One is not. How you deal with the aspect in “not in Jesus”, that also is part of your view of God. Yet, knowing what is sure is essential.

1) Have you ever really considered how your view of God affects how you view people?

2) Why does know what is sure affect your relationship with God?

3) “It is God’s plan” often seems as harsh, arbitrary, and fickle as . In light of this, how do you understand all the bad things in life, and how they fit in with your view of God?

FD) What is the first word you use to describe God? If you think of that word and someone you don’t like, what happens?