Health care town hall. President Obama held a town hall Tuesday on health insurance reform at Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire. The President urged Americans not to listen to those who seek to "scare and mislead the American people" on possible health care legislation provisions as counseling for living wills or hospice care. The President also predicted "sensible and reasoned arguments" would ultimately prevail in Congress.
This has become a very volatile issue and needs much prayer.
You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right�he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you�
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm. (The Message)
(This is one of my very favorite Psalms.)
"Those who dwell in the secret place of God are here said by the Psalmist to dwell under his shadow, in the sense that hey experience to what a rich extent his protection reaches.
"...here we are taught that the only safe and impregnable fortress to which we can flee is the protection of God.
"Since he condescends in such a gracious manner to our weakness, surely there is nothing to prevent us from coming to him with the greatest freedom."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
"Good Means for an Evil End"
1 Timothy 6:4b-5
He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. (ESV)
Paul's main theme throughout 1 Timothy is "sound doctrine," which also might be interpreted as "health-giving doctrine." When all of the things that he is teaching in these passages are practiced, the Church "is at peace with itself and is a powerful witness to the truth."
What is described in our passage today is what happens when members of the Church don't embrace sound doctrine.
Matthew Henry's commentary states: "When men are not content with the instruction of the Lord Jesus Christ, but will frame notions of their own and impose them, they sow the seeds of all harm in the church."
Some, as has been discussed previously, even turn "godliness" into a means of financial gain. "It is right for the Lord's appointed shepherds to earn a living from their work, but not heretics who, despite their best efforts to the contrary, often offer some godly truth in the toxic mess they sell. They might profess salvation in Christ but give false promises of wealth and prosperity in order to entice people to give, or they may present the gospel as a way a person can buy his way into heaven. Such people are to be avoided at all costs."
"Grace for the Unworthy"
Luke 17:10
So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, �We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty. (ESV)
Have you ever seen God bless someone you felt was unworthy? Jesus describes two such events in Luke 4, when he describes Elijah's ministry to the widow in Zarephath, while neglecting all the widows in Israel, and when Elish healed Naaman the Syrian of leprosy, when there were many lepers in Israel. Jesus's words made the people in the synagogue quite angry. Those Gentiles were certainly not worthy of God's healing and minstry! "How could God bless those Gentile dogs instead of more deserving Jews?"
"God often blesses people who seem unworthy to us. But that's what grace is all about, because we're all unworthy." Make sure you catch that last phrase. WE'RE ALL UNWORTHY!
We always rejoice when God's generosity is directed toward us or our friends and family. But how do we feel when someone we view as "undeserving" is a recipient of this great generosity. I can tell you from experience. I have found myself wrongly questioning God at some of those times. Times when my spirit was not quite in tune with the astounding measure of God's grace.
Here's what we must remember. God's grace is exactly that. It is God's grace. Not mine. It is his to despense with as he wishes. A verse in the Psalms says that "God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases." And to paraphrase a popular line from the early days of Saturday Night Live, he's God. And you're not.
So if you see someone you don't like getting blessed by God, remember who he is, and that it is most certainly his prerogative to bless whoever he will.
I pray for the state of healthcare in our nation. I pray that the right decisions will be made by our government in the next few months. Regardless of what I think. What I think is irrevelant in most matters. I pray for what is best in your eyes. I acknowledge again your sovereignty in all things, so even if something looks "bad" to me, I have faith that you are working as Romans 8:28 says.
I thank you for the protection that your might arms provide for me and my family. There are so many bad things that happen in our world today, every day. And we have been blessed. Sure, we have our share of sickness, but, compared to a lot of people, we have it pretty good. I thank you that we still have jobs. Let us be always grateful for your protection and provision in our lives.
I pray that I will always pursue "sound doctrine." I pray for leaders in our churches, that they will not be led astray by the appeal of riches. Let the truth and beauty of your Scriptures permeate my life, Lord. And I pray that they create in me a gentleness and lovingkindness that has yet to be seen in me.
Grace and peace, friends.