sharing some common ground

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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sharing some common ground

Colossians 1:1-2 (JDV)

Colossians 1:1 Paul, a missionary¹ of Christ Jesus by God’s preference,² and Timothy our brother:

Colossians 1:2 To the devotees³in Christ at Colossae, who are faithful brothers and sisters. Favor to you and peace from God our Father.

sharing some common ground

Paul had never visited Colossae. He had heard some troubling words about false teaching there, and he wanted to set that straight. He introduces himself by sharing some common ground that he had with the believers there.

  • devotion to Christ
  • brotherhood of faith
  • God’s favor
  • God’s peace

On the basis of that common ground, Paul and Timothy could share truth that could help the Colossian believers grow.

Lord, thank you for the things we share with other believers everywhere.

_____________________________

1 ἀπόστολος = missionary.
2 θέλημα = preference. Colossians 1:1, 9; 4:12.
3 ἅγιος = devotee, devoted. Colossians 1:2, 4, 12, 22, 26; 3:12.

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leaders who glorify God

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Psalms (book 2) - 1

leaders who glorify God

Psalm 72:18-20 (JDV)

Psalm 72:18 Blessed be Yahveh God, the God of Israel, who alone does wonders.
Psalm 72:19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; the whole land is filled with his glory. Amen and amen.
Psalm 72:20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are concluded.

leaders who glorify God

This section serves as a fit conclusion to this entire collection of psalms, but it is especially fitting here. The psalmist had been praying for the king, but he concludes with a plea for God to be glorified in the whole land. Our leaders are just men and women. Their glory cannot be our ultimate aim. We need to pray for our leaders so that God can be glorified through their actions, so they can reflect his character.

LORD, give us leaders who seek to glorify your name.

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rich and famous kings

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Psalms (book 2) - 1

rich and famous kings

Psalm 72:15-17 (JDV)

Psalm 72:15 May he live long! May gold from Sheba be given to him. May prayer be offered for him continually, and may he be blessed all day long.
Psalm 72:16 May there be plenty of grain in the land; may it wave on the tops of the mountains. May its crops be like Lebanon. May people flourish in the cities like the grass of the field.
Psalm 72:17 May his name endure permanently; as long as the sun shines, may his fame increase. May all nations be empowered by him and call him blessed.

rich and famous kings

Psalm 72 is a prayer for the king. What if we prayed like this for our president? Instead of complaining about wealthy politicians, what if we actually prayed for the prosperity and blessing of our leaders? There is nothing wrong with that, as long as we also pray for the people’s prosperity as well (16).

And let us not forget to pray that our leaders become world-famous for empowering the nations (17).

LORD, bless us with godly leaders, and bless our leaders with a positive influence on the world.

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poor lives matter

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Psalms (book 2) - 1

poor lives matter

Psalm 72:12-14 (JDV)

Psalm 72:12 You see, he will rescue the poor who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.
Psalm 72:13 He will have pity on the poor and helpless and save the lives of the poor.
Psalm 72:14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence, because their lives are precious in his sight.

poor lives matter

This psalm is a prayer for the king. It serves as an example for us as we seek to pray for our leaders. The psalmist prayed that his king would have pity on the poor and rescue them from oppression and violence. He wanted a leader who cared about the lives of all his people, particularly those forgotten and potentially abused by others.

As we pray for our leaders, and vote for our future leaders, we need to seek those who will take care of the marginalized among us.

Lord, give us leaders who care for the poor.

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leaders respected by everyone

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Psalms (book 2) - 1

leaders respected by everyone

Psalm 72:8-11 (JDV)

Psalm 72:8 May he rule from sea to sea and from the Euphrates to the ends of the land.
Psalm 72:9 May desert tribes kneel before him and his enemies lick the dust.
Psalm 72:10 May the kings of Tarshish and the coasts and islands bring tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
Psalm 72:11 Let all kings bow in homage to him, all nations serve him.

leaders respected by everyone

If you have a good and godly leader, you want him or her to be respected and admired by everyone.

The psalmist prayed for his king, and asked for his authority and influence to spread to all kings and all nations.

Our prayers for our leaders should follow suit, especially and ultimately we should seek for God’s kingdom to come, his will to be done on earth as well as in heaven.

Lord, give us godly leaders, and may they be respected by everyone.

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sun and moon and rain

Posted on July 4, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Psalms (book 2) - 1

sun and moon and rain

Psalm 72:5-7 (JDV)

Psalm 72:5 May they fear you while the sun endures and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
Psalm 72:6 May the king be like rain that falls on the cut grass, like spring showers that water the land.
Psalm 72:7 May the righteous one flourish in his days and well-being abound until the moon is no more.

sun and moon and rain

We can pretty much rely on the sun and the moon to be there for us, and the spring showers are going to make an appearance. The psalmist is praying for his king to be as reliable as that.

We all need leaders to be reliable. Praying for our leaders to be reliable and trustworthy is a very healthy practice.

LORD, give us presidents and prime ministers who are as reliable as the sun and the moon.

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a king’s purpose

Posted on July 3, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
wood dark game king

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a king’s purpose

Psalm 72:1-4 (JDV)

Psalm 72:11 God, give your justice to the king and your righteousness to the king’s son.
Psalm 72:2 He will judge your people with righteousness and your afflicted ones with justice.
Psalm 72:3 May the mountains bring well-being to the people and the hills, righteousness.
Psalm 72:4 May he vindicate the afflicted among the people, help the poor, and crush the oppressor.

a king’s purpose

A king is not given his rule for the purpose of building himself up, but but for providing rescue and well-being for his people. He and his son are a gift from God, intended to mirror his justice and righteousness.

So, this is what we wish and pray for concerning our leaders today. God’s purpose for them has not changed, and this psalm reflects the principle that our leaders need our prayers for them to accomplish God’s purpose.

Lord, make our leaders mirror your justice and righteousness.

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he’ll do it again

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Psalms (book 2) - 1

he’ll do it again

Psalm 71:22-24 (JDV)

Psalm 71:22 That is why I will praise you with a harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing to you with a lyre, Holy One of Israel.
Psalm 71:23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you because you have redeemed me.
Psalm 71:24 That is why my tongue will proclaim your righteousness all day long, for those who intend to harm me will be disgraced and confounded.

he’ll do it again

His enemies are plotting his destruction. Life is falling apart around him. What does this man of God do with his shame and discomfort? He turns them against his enemies, by praising God while he waits for him to respond to his prayer!

Many commentators think that verse 23 reflects a transition in the psalm where the psalmist informs his readers that God has already come through. I don’t think that is a correct conclusion for this context. The psalmist is not saying that his crisis is over. Instead, he is remembering back to his conversion. He points to God’s redemption when he came to faith as reason to praise him, anticipating his second “spiritual resurrection” to come.

The psalmist is not out of the woods yet, but he is confident that there is a way out. His enemies are not yet disgraced and confounded by God’s intervention, but they will be. God is consistent; he is faithful. He has raised this psalmist from death before, and he will do it again. In fact, he will do it again twice. He will rescue the psalmist from his current crisis, and he will bring him up from the depths of the ground on resurrection day.

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life again

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Psalms (book 2) - 1

life again

Psalm 71:19-21 (JDV)

Psalm 71:19 Your righteousness reaches the heights, God, you who have done great things; God, who is like you?
Psalm 71:20 You have shown me many troubles and misfortunes, but you will bring me to life again. You will bring me up again, even from the depths of the ground.
Psalm 71:21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

life again

The psalmist knows what it is like to have been brought to life. He has known the joy of what we call regeneration — being born again to spiritual life. He now is experiencing some of those troubles and misfortunes, and admits that they have been shown to him by God as well. But he trusts that God will restore his life once again, by bringing him up, even from the depths of the ground. He trusts God to erase his shame, and restore his comfort.

In fact, the wording of this psalm hints at the hope of a literal resurrection.

So, we see the whole of the Christian hope reflected in its words. We trusted Christ to deliver us from spiritual death when we repented. We trust Christ to bring us through our troubles and misfortunes. We trust Christ to bring us up from the grave at his return.

Thank you LORD, for the new life you have given us, and the eternal life that awaits us.

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old and gray

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
old woman sitting on chair near girl while reading a book

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old and gray

Psalm 71:17-18 (JDV)

Psalm 71:17 God, you have taught me from my youth, and I still proclaim your wondrous works.
Psalm 71:18 Even while I am old and gray, God, do not abandon me, while I proclaim your power to another generation, your strength to all who are to come.

old and gray

You would think that it would be a simple question. The lady at the counter at DMV asked me what color my hair is. Alas, it is no longer a simple question.

My hair started out blonde. I was a toe-head until my teens, and then the hair turned brown. So, I told the lady that my hair is brown. At some point I am going to have to face up to reality and say that it is gray.

Those of us who are getting older and grayer have an opportunity to proclaim God’s power to another generation.

Lord, thank you for that gift.

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