Savoring the Scripture

Several mornings a week, I climb out of bed and after an early morning quiet time, I get my running gear on: shirt, reflective pants, shoes, headband, Garmin watch, phone, and ear buds. Some mornings, it’s easy to gear up and head out for that run. Some mornings are harder and require more effort. Some mornings are cold, or hot, or I’m tired. Some days the miles require lots of effort and other days they breeze by. But I love the quiet and stillness of the break of day and I love the accomplishment at the end of the run. What keeps me going out there week after week? Through pregnancies and nursing infants? Through the chilliness of below freezing temperature? Through heat and tiredness? Discipline. Spiritual Discipline Discipline is  the act of training and developing by instruction or exercise especially in self-control. [1] As believers, we are called to train and develop our spiritual senses for the purpose of attaining godliness, a life both in attitude ...

In the first post on hospitality( https://savoring-the-scripture.blogspot.com/ ), we looked at 1 Peter 4:9-11 and saw that hospitality seeks to meet the needs of others cheerfully and graciously in a practical way without complaining by opening our home and ministering our gifts by God’s power to those we have the privilege to serve.  In this post we will look at two more passages that give us more insight on hospitality: Romans 12:13 and Hebrews 13:2.   Seek Opportunities Hospitality usually does not just happen.  There is an intentionality to hospitality that requires the believer to seek opportunities to practice it. Rom. 12:13, “Contribute to the needs to the saints and seek to show hospitality.” This word translated “seek” means “to follow or press hard after, to pursue with earnestness and diligence in order to obtain.” [1]   This does not sound like the happenstance hospitality. Occasionally the act of hosting others in our home happens by accident...

       “Hospitality is simply practical love.” [1] Hospitality has been defined as the friendly and generous reception and welcome of people, including friends, family, and strangers, into your home to care for them in some way. In 1 Timothy, the requirement for elders of the church is that they be hospitable (1 Tim. 3:2). For the widow to be included on the list for widows she would have needed to show hospitality to strangers, wash the saints’ feet, and assist those in distress (1 Tim. 5:10). But hospitality is the command for all believers, and it is a tool by which a God-fearing woman can meet the needs of the saints, strangers, and those in distress. In the OT with the nomadic way of life, hospitality was an essential part of the culture.   Along with the reception into the home for food and lodging, protection was provided.   Hospitality was considered a sacred duty and it was taken very seriously. Generational friendship was even establishe...

I have been studying the book of Hebrews for awhile now, and I have reached the fifth chapter and verse 7 talks about Christ's actions when He knew He was heading for the cross. Hebrews 5:7,"who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear.."  The thing that has encouraged me this week is Christ's example of crying out to God in His distress.  I need a daily reminder to turn to God in my own struggles.  Many times my response is to feel stressed or get upset, and yet I have a powerful God that I can turn to. A verse that has been particularly encouraging is Ps. 55:22, "Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will not permit the righteous to be moved." Praise God that I can cast my burdens on Him! Whatever our burdens may be that we carry, we can cast on Him, and He will sustain us. I do...