Aug 27th

1 Samuel 19     Lamentations 4     1 Corinthians 1     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

The golden years have gone.

Today’s theme is summed up in Lamentations 4:1, the gold has grown dim. How sad it is to read of people and places which have lost their lustre and past glories. Lamentations 4 is a national funeral song lamenting the siege of Jerusalem in rather graphic detail. It happened we are told in v 13 “for the sins of the prophets and the iniquities of the priests,” those who should have known better.

Saul in 1 Samuel 19 was Israel’s first king, he had been anointed by Samuel, but back in 1 Samuel 16:4 we are told that the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul and now come on David. How sad that Saul now tries to kill David but amazing that God uses two of Saul’s own children, Jonathan and Michal to preserve David’s life.

Finally in 1 Corinthians 1 Paul writes to a once great church in Corinth, a bustling cosmopolitan city in Greece. After just 9 verses Paul switches to a complaint and challenge about their party divisions, a thriving church which was now spiritually troubled. Paul is concerned their pride has led them to value outward appearance and eloquence over the genuine work of the Spirit.

So what can we do? Mourn for past triumphs and experiences or turn to Christ crucified? A weak foolish stumbling block, but Christ is the power and wisdom of God, v 24.

Let us boast today only in the Lord, verse 31, and boast only of what God has done.

(member of the PCC)