pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: vow


by Leave a comment

God at Work

Readings: Judges 13, Judges 14, Judges 15, Judges 16

Judges 15:14 – “The LORD’s spirit rushed over him, the ropes on his arms became like burned-up linen.”

Today we read about Samson. He is the last major judge. Evil has befallen Israel and God has given them over to the Philistines – for 40 years. The messenger of the Lord comes to a Danite woman and tells her that she will have a son. Because he will be a nazarite, she must keep the vows while pregnant. Samson is born and as he grows up, the Lord blesses him.

Samson falls in love with a Philistine woman – much to his parents displeasure. He demands that they get her for his wife. They do not realize that God is at work. Samson kills a lion bare-handed and on a later trip discovers honey in the carcass. This becomes the basis for his wedding riddle. Samson’s wife nags the answer out of him and she tells her people. He reacts violently, killing 30 men to get the 30 sets of clothing to pay off his wedding riddle. He exits quickly and the woman is married to another. Later this news leads an angry Samson to use foxes and torches to burn the Philistines’ grain. Samson is turned over to the Philistines but God is with him once more. Freed, he uses a jaw bone to kill 1,000 Philistines. God then brings water from a rock to revive and reenergize a tired Samson.

Samson then meets, falls in love with, and marries Delilah. The Philistines offer her 1,100 pieces of silver for the secret to his strength. After three failed attempts and a lot of nagging, he tells her. He awakens and thinks he’ll just escape this too. But he is captured. They gouge his eyes out and put him to slave labor. During a celebration to their god Dagon, Samson is brought in to perform. He asks God for one last time of strength. Samson collapses the temple, killing the Philistine rulers, freeing God’s people.

Samson breaks all of his vows. He allows lust, anger, and revenge to lead him to some horrific decisions and actions. And yet God remains at work. Samson will not be rescued or redeemed, but through him God’s people will be.

Prayer: Lord God, you are ever at work. In the hardest of situations you still can bring about your desired outcome. Help us to heed today’s warnings about the outcome of lust, anger, and revenge. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Vows to All Peoples

Reading: Psalm 116: 12-19

Verse 14: “I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people”.

Today’s reading begins with a question: “How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me”? It is a good question to consider. The psalmist’s answer is the fulfillment of his vows to the Lord. Like the psalmist, we too are in relationship with God. And like all relationships, this relationship with God involves a commitment and some expectations. In verse thirteen the psalmist begins his answer to this question. He begins by lifting the cup of salvation – a way to acknowledge and be thankful for the eternal nature of his relationship with God. He continues by committing to call upon the Lord. Today we would spell out this commitment as t-i-m-e. The psalmist is committing to conversation with God. The giving of time often defines the level of commitment that we have to a relationship.

Verses fourteen and seventeen are the same. Both read, “I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people”. For the psalmist that involved thank offerings and praising God in the temple. Our vows certainly involve our worship and our gratitude too. Now, we may not initially think of our relationship with God or with Jesus as having vows. But when we confess and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are making a statement that has some vows attached. When we ask Jesus to be the Lord of our life, we are asking him to be in charge, to be #1 in everything. In doing so we are pledging to place our will, our desires, our all second to his will, his desires… We are vowing to love the Lord above all else in our lives. When we make that vow we are committing to walk as Jesus’ disciple or follower. This vow entails doing what he did – loving God and neighbor with all that we are and with all that we have.

Part of the psalmist’s vow was to fulfill his vow to all of God’s people. All are children of God. Yes, perhaps some do not realize this, but they are still children of God. This is how Jesus fulfilled his vows to God. For the psalmist this would include the tribes and clans outside the nation of Israel. For Jesus that would mean loving the leper, the Samaritans, the blind and lame, the possessed, the sinners… Who might that be for you? Jesus said that we would be known by our love. What unexpected person will you extend love to today?

Prayer: Lord God, open my eyes to the person in need of love that I meet today. Help me to see as you see, to maybe see something or someone that I might normally miss. Break my heart to respond, O Lord. Amen.