January 11, 2023 – “Divide – and Live”

“Later, two women who were prostitutes came to the king (Solomon) and stood before him. The one woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house. Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were together; there was no one else with us in the house, only the two of us were in the house. Then this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your servant slept. She laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, I saw that he was dead; but when I looked at him closely in the morning, clearly it was not the son I had borne.” But the other woman said, “No, the living son is mine, and the dead son is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead son is yours, and the living son is mine.” So they argued before the king. Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; while the other says, ‘Not so! Your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” So the king said, “Bring me a sword,” and they brought a sword before the king. The king said, “Divide the living boy in two; then give half to the one, and half to the other.” But the woman whose son was alive said to the king—because compassion for her son burned within her—“Please, my lord, give her the living boy; certainly do not kill him!” The other said, “It shall be neither mine nor yours; divide it.” Then the king responded: “Give the first woman the living boy; do not kill him. She is his mother.” All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered; and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute justice.” 1 Kings 3:16-28

{“There is the story of a group of chess enthusiasts, good friends all, who had a long day of chess matches. Late in the evening these friends went to the lobby of the large hotel where the matches were held, to talk a bit and rest. While their chat began quietly it gathered steam and got quite animated. They were telling each other of their successes of the day. One said he had won so many matches, another told of how he had beaten better players than himself. After a while of this, the hotel manager came over and summarily threw them all out, saying, “I can’t abide chess nuts boasting in an open foyer”.} (John Baker)

To learn to play chess at a highly skilled level, you must learn patience and have the ability to think a few moves ahead of your opponent. One of the weaknesses of many players is their impulsiveness to attack when they think their opponent has made a mistake. This often leads to rash, inopportune or just plain bad moves. The task is to divide your opponent’s pieces — and then conquer.

Solomon had asked for wisdom when the Lord offered him anything he might want. His wisdom served him well throughout his reign as king, as the above story suggests. But he did not seek to divide and conquer – he decided to divide the women, to determine who was the rightful mother, so the boy might live. We could only hope to be blessed with a small amount of such wisdom – especially when it comes to navigating another new year.

One more piece of advice that comes from Solomon’s wisdom comes from the book of Proverbs:

“Look to the ant…consider its ways, and be wise. Without having any chief or officer or ruler, it prepares its food in summer, and gathers its sustenance in harvest. How long will you lie there…? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want, like an armed warrior.” Proverbs 6:6-11

Let us look to 2023 as an opportunity for life, and not live in fear or regret.

Let us pray: Dear G-d, give me the wisdom to seek your will every day. Help me to see how living in your will leads me to life. Amen.

Pastor Dave

January 10, 2023 – “The Left-Handed Man”

“Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left. Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.” Judges 3:15-23

{“My doctor took one look at my gut and refused to believe that I work out. So I listed the exercises I do every day: I jump to conclusions, I climb the walls, and drag my heels. I push my luck, make mountains out of molehills, and bend over backward. I run around in circles, put my foot in my mouth, and beat around the bush.”} (Reddit)

The New Year will bring new challenges of all kinds. As human beings, we need special events like the turning of a new year to spark new beginnings, new directions, new habits. Why? Well, I am not so sure except for the fact that change is so hard to maintain. Sometimes change feels as hard as if I were deciding to change from being right-handed to being a left-handed man.

I know there is change needed in my daily routines – and it will take some real effort. One of the changes this pastor needs to initiate is to get back into and on to an exercise regime. I have fallen into some bad habits. I need to find ways to prioritize and to refocus on family matters and matters of the church.  

In 2023, let’s resolve to exercise our minds, our bodies and our faith. Rather than jumping to conclusions, let’s jump into the bible to learn more about the Word of G-d. Rather than pushing our luck, let’s push ourselves to renew our faith and trust in Jesus. And rather than putting our feet in our mouths, let’s determine to walk about sharing our faith.

Let us pray: Dear G-d, opportunities for change and new beginnings come infrequently. Help me to take advantage of this new year and to find ways to exercise my faith every day. Amen.

Pastor Dave