SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/14/2020
10:03 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-3 “Historical Context”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew 5:8
Message of the
verses: “"Happy
are the utterly sincere, for they will see God!’”
I have to say at the outset of this
Spiritual Diary that I have been thinking about parts of yesterday’s SD a great
deal and the part that I have been thinking about was Jesus conversation with
Nicodemus. A couple of things that I
have been thinking about and the first is that I can have conversations with
the Lord are similar ways and I really think that He likes that very much. I suppose some of my most rewarding
conversations with the Lord are when I am in my car alone and sometimes the
conversations from me are out loud. Next
thing that was something that I was thinking about was that Jesus knew exactly
what Nicodemus wanted to ask Him even though it was not really what Nicodemus
was asking Jesus. We went over that in
yesterday’s SD. Jesus knows what I need
at every moment of my life and so all I have to do is to make sure that I talk
to Him much more often than I have been.
There is a gospel song entitle “Just a little talk with Jesus” that
comes to my mind as I think about yesterdays SD.
After Jesus had fed the five
thousand which is seen in all four gospel accounts the people ask a question
that is recorded in John 6:28 “’What shall we do, so that we may work the works
of God?’” This is the same question that
was troubling Nicodemus: “How can a
person get right with the Lord, and what must I do to please Him?” These people were like Nicodemus and others
during that time, and frankly there are still those around today who believe that
they have to do many rituals in order to get right with the Lord, but that is
not the case as Nicodemus eventually found out.
Like Nicodemus these people knew something was missing.
Luke tells of a lawyer in 10:25 who
asked “’Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’” When the lawyer asked Jesus this question he
was testing Jesus and so after Jesus gave him an answer the man tried to
justify himself as seen in verse 29 “But wishing to justify himself, he said to
Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?’” The
man had wrong motives but the question was real and the answer from Jesus gave
us the story of the Good Samaritan.”
Another historical context is seen
in Luke 18:18 “A ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I
do to inherit eternal life?’” This man,
unlike the lawyer was sincere, however he was unwilling to pay the cost as he
wanted to keep his wealth was too high for him and he walked away very sad as
seen in verse 23. MacArthur adds “He
knew he needed something more than outward obedience to the law, at which he
had been diligent since childhood (v. 21).
He knew that, with all his devotion and effort to please God, he had no
assurance of possessing eternal life. He
was seeking the kingdom, but he was not seeking it first (Matt. 6:33).” “"But seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
There were more asking similar
questions, but at this time I want to quote the last paragraph from this
section of MacArthur’s commentary from him, and then move onto the very short
last sub-section that follows.
“It was to answer that need that
Jesus came to earth. It was to answer
that need that He gave the Beatitudes.
He shows simply and directly how sinful man can be made right with God.
The Literary Contest:
“At first glance this beatitude
seems out of place, inserted indiscriminately into an otherwise orderly
development of truths. Because of its
supreme importance, a more strategic place—either at the beginning as the
foundation, or at the end as the culmination—might seems more appropriate.
“But the sixth beatitude, like every
part of God’s Word, is in the right place.
It is part of the beautiful and marvelous sequence of truths that are
here laid out according to the mind of God.
It is the climax of the Beatitudes, the central truth to which the
previous fife lead and from which the following two flow.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: John MacArthur
talks about having this beatitude in the right place, and also goes on to talk
about the Bible being in the right order.
What I can take from this is that I have to believe that God is having
me study the right book at the right time to bring glory to Him through what I
am studying. Perhaps there is someone
who is reading this SD on the internet from my blog who the Spirit of God is
using this SD to open their heart to receive the greatest gift every given, that
is the gift of salvation provided by Jesus Christ.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I want to
trust the Lord to continue to give me contentment and also teach me more about
humility, and to continue to give me joy as I study His Word each day.
5/14/2020 10:51
AM
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