Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, August 12, 2021
Shalom,
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu 12 Aug 2021 4th of Elul, 5781
De 18:14-19:13Hos 7-82 Ch 3(Jn 17)Heb 2
Week 33
Memory Verse: Luke 14:33 So in the same way, whoever does not renounce all that he has, cannot be My disciple.
161 8/9 Monday: Luke 9:10-62
162 8/10 Tuesday: Mark 9-10
163 8/11 Wednesday: Luke 12
164 8/12 Thursday: John 3-4
165 8/13 Friday: Luke 14
I’m pressed for time today, so I’m borrowing from myself. I wrote this 2 years ago on Thursday, August 15, 2019. I hope you like it (again).
The question of the day: Our text today is from the end of John 3. What jumped out at me from these 2 verses?
John 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has given everything into His hand. 36 He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Answer: It seems like the opposite of “trust” is not “distrust.” The opposite of “trust” is “disobey.”
Yeshua said, John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
The “Shema” from Deuteronomy 6:4 is called by Yeshua, “the greatest commandment.” Although it is a command to “hear,” that is an unfortunate translation. It would be better if it said “Take heed, O Israel” or “Obey, O Israel.”
The command is to “trust AND obey.” Some believe obedience is for Old Testament believers. Oh contraire, we perfect our trust through obedience. Stop struggling with it and submit to God. After all, we pray, “Thy will be done…”
Who is going to do His will, God or us? Yes, both. God is always going to do His own will. The question then falls to us. Why should we obey God?
Deuteronomy 4:40 “You must keep His statutes and His mitzvot, which I am commanding you today, so that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and so that you may prolong your days in the land that Adonai your God is giving you for all time.”
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Please inquire of the Lord, “Convict me, Lord, in any area of life in which I am not in obedience to You.” Then meditate on it. Blessings. R. Michael.