Author: Dave Dishman (Page 142 of 458)

We make choices every day on where to give our attention. Some of those choices are made for us, as we work in different fields and on various projects. But each one of us holds a great deal of latitude when choosing how we focus our minds on any given day.

David, the king and general, followed a couple of principles on the influences he let come before him. First, a word about what to avoid:

I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.

David noticed morally offensive behavior, and he couldn’t stop it across his kingdom, but he could avoid giving tacit approval to those living sordid lives. He pushed such people away, minimizing their influence as he led the nation.

Instead, David looked to fill his retinue with quality people. My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they my dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me. David knew that value of honest counselors and faithful friends.

The company I keep matters, just as what I view matters (even if no one else ever knows). The right people help me turn from the vile towards the splendid ways of the Lord. It always pays off to invest in relationships with those who seek to live blameless lives.

Good advice from a man after God’s own heart.

Psalm 101 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor

The Bible holds some weird phrases. This one caught my eye and sent me down a rabbit trail of commentaries. In a long string of advice, Job’s friend Eliphaz tells him to assign your nuggets to the dust.

Which is certainly confusing, until we read the full quote—Assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks of the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you.

Job’s friends did not always give sound advice, but here Eliphaz pointed in the right direction. In telling Job to assign his nuggets to the dust, he spoke of gold in its raw form, a highly valuable asset in Job’s portfolio. This counselor encouraged Job to turn from trusting in wealth.

Job seemingly had nothing left. All his holdings, not to mention his children, were destroyed by the cruelty of Satan’s tests. Remember his lament, Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. But perhaps Job still had some money in the bank? Down to his last few precious stones, the temptation was strong to cling to that gold. Especially as Job heard nothing from the Lord.

Jesus shared a similar encouragement to his followers:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

While I don’t have any gold nuggets laying around, and I’m not enduring the tests of Job, I do possess plenty of treasure here on earth. Eliphaz and Jesus remind me that my soul—my deepest longings—are better off with a handful of nuggets in heaven than a whole cartload in the bank.

Job 22 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Lucas Santos

In the midst of gatherings with friends and family and co-workers, this prayer of David’s remains one that all of us should give attention to:

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.

But my mind goes beyond the holiday table. For me, the delicacies of social media present a much greater temptation. In that realm I notice few guards when it comes to civil speech. Even when I refuse to comment, I find the buzz of back and forth arguments and name-calling compelling. I get drawn in, wandering the sideshow as I scroll along.

With head bowed to my phone, I find the angst in my spirit start to rise. I cannot solve whatever issue is being bandied about, but I can stew on it. Or, I enjoy the titillation of scandals with powerful people taking a hit. I’m entertained, even though I don’t know them or their true situation or if they’re really guilty or just suffering the wrath of an internet mob.

So for me, set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the doorway of my lips remains an indispensable prayer. I should pray this every day.

But when my belly craves the junk food of social media, then more urgently I need to plead, Lord, keep me from the delicacies strewn across the world wide web that draw my heart away from you.

Psalm 141 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Annie Spratt

Job had it bad. After his family and fortune was destroyed, his friends showed up to talk him to death. It’s amazing he kept his faith in God throughout his trials. But that faith tattered with questions and frustrations and pain.

In one outburst Job lamented those who lived large while taking advantage of people around them:

The tents of the marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure—those whose god is in their hand.

These robbers refused to acknowledge the God of heaven. They followed a god they controlled themselves, one fitting in the palm of their hand. Their god felt good in a pocket, a lucky charm to rub. But no god at all really, only a prop in the show.

Like Job, I have the same complaint about the marauders of our day. Why do those who thumb their noses at the divine flourish? Why do leaders who use their god to entrap others or cover their hatred rise? Why do the corrupt prosper while good people struggle? It’s an age-old frustration.

But Job knew deep down that the Lord controls this world, and eventually even the slyest marauders face judgement.

Job looked for a Messiah who was to come, a mediator between God and man. This time of year we celebrate that arrival. Jesus explodes the idea of a god in the pocket—he’ll burn a hole right through your shorts.

So as we celebrate the birth of the King, we celebrate the inevitable justice he brings as well.

Job 12 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by gryffyn m