SAPATE MA‘ASI 31, 2024

CRYING OUT FOR HELP

TANGI KI HA TOKONI

JUDGES 6:3,6

"Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them... Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the LORD." 

FAKAMAAU 6:3,6

3 Pea ka faifai pea ‘osi ‘a e tō ta‘u ‘a ‘Isileli, na‘e toki ‘alu hake ‘a e kau Mitiani mo e kau ‘Amaleki mo ha‘a ‘Ālepea, ke fai mo kinautolu: 6 Pea na‘e hoko ‘o vaivai ‘aupito ‘a ‘Isileli koe‘uhi ko Mitiani, pea tautapa ‘a ‘Isileli ki he ‘Eiki.

When we are helpless, we are best-placed to learn true faith.

At the beginning of Judges 6, the people of Israel once again "did what was evil in the sight of the LORD" (v 1). They had trapped themselves in a recurring cycle of rebellion and repentance, slow to learn and quick to forget that their difficult circumstances were often related to their disobedience. Ultimately, the Israelites struggled to understand that God would allow them to come to a place where their only response would be to cry out for help so that He could bring them into communion with Himself, for His glory and their good. He does this for us today, too, working out His purposes in the lives of those who know themselves to be helpless. It is those who know they are "poor in spirit," not those who think they are sufficient in themselves, to whom Jesus promises the kingdom (Matthew 5:3).

Some of us mistakenly believe that if we just follow Jesus, everything will always fall into line. Deep down, we think that God will always and immediately intervene to remove hardship. When God doesn't answer our prayers how or when we want, we wonder if we can still trust that He knows best. Perhaps you are in that place today.

Repeatedly throughout Scripture, God promises to come to our aid when we ask: "The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore" (Psalm 121:6-8). These are guarantees of God's word. Yet the way in which He fulfills such promises is often along rocky terrain, amid dark valleys, and in uncomfortable waiting rooms.

When God interceded with His people in Judges, He turned them back to His word, convicting them. The prophet, speaking the very words of God, reminded the Israelites of what they needed to know: "I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery... I said to you, I am the LORD your God ... But you have not obeyed my voice" (Judges 6:8, 10). But then, in a little twist of the tale, just when we anticipate God's judgment, we read instead that "the angel of the LORD appeared" with these words of mercy: "The LORD is with you" (v 12).

Where would we be if God gave to us the judgment that we deserve instead of demonstrating His mercy day by day? He did not give the people of Israel what they deserved, nor has He done so with you and me. God's mercy and grace know no end. But in His goodness, He often uses the hard things in our lives to teach us that He is all we need. The removal of a good thing causes pain but can also bring us to cry out to God and find in Him our strength and peace and hope. Cry out to Him for help, filled with the hope that the God who hears you truly knows what is best. The Lord is with you!

ROMANS 5:1-11

Bible Through The Year: Proverbs 21-23; Hebrews 2

 TOKONAKI MA‘ASI 30, 2024

ENDLESS PROFIT

KOLOA ‘E ‘IKAI TOE ‘OSI

MATTHEW 16:25-26

Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" 

MATIU 16:25-26

25 He ko ia te ne fai ke fakahaofi ‘ene mo‘ui, ko ‘ene tuku ia ke mole; pea ko ia te ne tuku ‘ene mo‘ui ke mole koe‘uhi ko au, ko ‘ene kalofaki ia. 26 He ka ne faifai pea ma‘u ‘e ha tangata ‘a māmani kātoa ‘i he‘ene ngāue, kae mole ai ‘ene mo‘ui, ko e hā tū ha me‘a kuo ne lava? pea ko e hā ha me‘a ‘e ‘atu ‘e he tangata ke fakatau ‘aki mai ‘ene mo‘ui?

Jesus was an expert at asking questions especially the sort of questions that made peo-

ple stop in their tracks and pay attention. When we are confronted with Jesus' questions, as the disciples were here, we must be careful not to sidestep their intended effect.

At first glance, Jesus' question regarding material gain at the expense of our souls might

be understood primarily as a warning of impending punishment on the selfish individual. We're tempted to read Jesus' question in a way that likens Him to a mother who says to her child, "Now, if you don't share with your sister, you know what'll happen!" But this particular question is more along the lines of an observation. Jesus is pointing out what happens when we orient our lives and decisions around our own sinful longings-around our possessions, our accomplishments, our desired identity. To live in such a way, He says, is to forfeit your very life.

The loss of life of which Jesus is speaking here is therefore both immediate and eternal. If we regard life as nothing more than what we can get out of it for ourselves, we actually miss out on its greatest joys; we end up merely existing, not actually living. Furthermore, when we place ourselves on the throne of our life, we remove Jesus from His rightful place and affirm the reality that by nature we prefer to pursue the world rather than to forsake our desires in pursuit of Christ. If we continue in this way, we will forfeit the gift of eternal life that He loves to give to His subjects.

So how are we to combat worldly desires in the here and now? First, we must recognize

that, as the 17th-century mathematician and theologian Blaise Pascal put it, we have a God-shaped hole at the deepest level of our being, and nothing can fill this void save God Himself. We exist not to pursue fleeting pleasures but to enjoy relationship with the living God. Then second, we must continually reflect on the value of our souls as evidenced in the cruel scene outside Jerusalem where the sinless Christ hung on a cross-despised, rejected, pierced, scarred, and scorned-so that we might be brought into right relationship with God and freely receive eternal life. Jesus' sacrifice reveals how much the eternal destiny of our souls matters to God.

Following Jesus as your rescuer and your King and acknowledging His worth above any

earthly treasure is not a momentary decision; it is a lifetime commitment that is lived out each day. If you are prepared to come to His cross daily, humbly confess who He is, and give up your life - your preferences, your comfort, your wealth - then your profit will know no end, now and for all of eternity. We could do far worse than asking ourselves the question at the start of each day that Jesus asked His disciples on the road that day: What will it profit me if I gain the whole world and forfeit my soul?

MATTHEW 16:13-27

Bible Through The Year: Proverbs 19-20; Hebrews 1

 FALAITE MA‘ASI 29, 2024

THE TRUE ISRAEL

KO E ‘ISILELI MO‘ONIA

HOSEA 11:1-2

"When Israel was a child. I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols." 

HOSEA 11:1-2

1 ‘I HE kei tamasi‘i ‘a ‘Isileli, na‘a ku ‘ofa ki ai, pea u ui hoku foha mei ‘Isipite. 2 Na‘e fai ha ui kiate kinautolu, ka nau hola ai pē ke puli: na‘a nau feilaulau ki ha‘a Peali, pea nau tutu ‘inisēnisi ki he ngaahi ‘aitoli.

When Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph took Him to Egypt to protect Him from King Herod’s persecution. When Matthew records that event, he includes these words from Hosea, made over seven centuries before, and explains that they were in fact a prophecy that Jesus fulfilled (Matthew 2:13-15). But Hosea's words weren't referencing an individual, but rather a nation ("they were called ... they went away... they kept sacrificing"). We may think, then, that here is a rather cavalier use of Scripture by Matthew.

But in truth Matthew knows exactly what he's doing. He is deliberately identifying Jesus with Israel. As God had called His beloved people - His "son"-out of Egypt to worship Him in the promised land, so now, Matthew says, God was calling His one and only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus, out of Egypt and back to the promised land. Jesus, though, was different. Like the Israelites, He was tempted in the wilderness, but unlike the Israelites, He didn't sin (Matthew 4:1-11; see also Exodus 32:1-6). Jesus is the true Israel, the true Son.

At the outset of His ministry, Jesus chose twelve disciples (Matthew 10:1-4). This was a significant number. By choosing twelve, Jesus made a statement. He, the true Israel, was calling to Himself people to be part of a new Israel. His twelve disciples, rather than the twelve tribes of Israel, were now its foundation. In that choice, the focus of God's people was and is realigned. Since then, the true Israel is not found in what's now called the Middle East, nor does it consist only of the biological descendants of Abraham. Instead, it comprises Abraham's spiritual descendants, both Jew and Gentile. God's children are those who follow Abraham's example by placing their trust in God's promises, which are fulfilled in Jesus.

The promise, says Paul, "depends on faith" and will always "rest on grace" (Romans 4:16). It doesn't matter whether you are a Jew or a Gentile, rich or poor, male or female. It doesn't matter who you are or what you have done. The same principle always applies: "If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise" (Galatians 3:29). We are "all one in Christ" (v 28). The gospel is the same for all, for the ground is level at the foot of the cross. Religious and moral people are in need of the same salvation as someone who never attends church and has lived with no regard for any standard or creed. We have only one story to tell, but it is the only story we, or anyone, needs.

We are undeniably imperfect. We, like the first Israel, are prone to wander from our Father and to worship idols. But Jesus, the perfectly righteous one, the better and true Israel, died to bear our sins that we might come and cast ourselves upon His mercy. We have been gathered into His great company, into the framework of the true kingdom of Israel, not because of who we are or what we've done but because of who He is and what He's done. Today, through faith in Christ Jesus, you are a child of God, as beloved as He was and is (Galatians 3:26).

MATTHEW 4:1-11

Bible Through The Year: Proverbs 16-18; Titus 3

 TU’APULELULU MA‘ASI 28, 2024

A SOLID DIET

KO E KAI LELEI MO FE‘UNGA

HEBREWS 5:11-14

"You have become duli of hearing... You need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature." 

HEBREWS 5:11-14

11 ‘A ia ‘oku lahi ‘emau fakamatala ke fai ki ai, pea faingata‘a hono faka‘uhinga; koe‘uhi ko ho‘omou hoko ko e kau ongongata‘a. 12 He neongo na‘e totonu ke mou faiako, koe‘uhi ko ho‘omou fuoloa, ka ko homou taau ‘eni ke toe ako kiate kimoutolu ‘e ha taha ‘a e motu‘alea ‘o e ngaahi ‘elemēniti ‘o e folofola ‘a e ‘Otua. ‘Io, kuo mou hoko ko ha kakai ‘oku tuha mo ha hu‘akau pē, ‘o ‘ikai mo e me‘akai mālohi. 13 He ‘ilonga ‘a ia ‘oku me‘akai ‘aki ‘a e hu‘akau, ‘oku ne ta‘epoto ‘i he folofola ‘o e mā‘oni‘oni, he ko e valevale ia. 14 Ka ko e me‘akai mālohi ‘oku ‘anautolu ‘oku matu‘otu‘a, ‘a kinautolu ‘a ia ko e me‘a ‘i he‘enau fa‘a fai, kuo ako honau ngaahi ongo‘anga ke sivi ‘a e lelei mo e kovi.

Imagine visiting your favorite restaurant and noticing that all the patrons are seated at their tables drinking milk from large baby bottles. What a bizarre scene that would be! Yet this is the picture that the writer of Hebrews painted when he urged the Jewish Christians of his day to remain hungry for greater and greater Christlikeness. He knew that many were already becoming complacent in their faith. Those who should have already been teachers instead needed to review their ABCs all over again.

The difficulty for these believers with understanding biblical principles resulted from neither any complex subject matter nor the writer's inability to clearly explain. Rather, they were willfully slow to learn. When the author writes that they were "dull of hearing," the word for "dull" is the same one he uses later when warning them not to be "sluggish" (Hebrews 6:12). There he exhorts his readers, instead of tolerating such a slothful attitude, to be "imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

Had these early Christians been dutiful souls who were listening carefully and trying hard to grasp biblical concepts, and simply having difficulty doing so, the writer likely would not have been so stern with them. But this wasn't the case. He found himself reprimanding church members who should have been eagerly receiving the truth but had become apathetic. Their enthusiasm had waned. They had ceased to pay attention. As a result, they failed to understand, which prevented them from being further transformed by God's truth.

If we are not vigilant, the same could become true of us. We cannot sustain ourselves on a diet of Rice Krispies, toast, and milk. It's ok to like milk. It's ok to have it as part of our diet. But it is not ok to drink it as the sum total of our intake. That is for babies, and we are not to stay babies. We must learn to eat more nutritious food and expand our palate.

Make it your goal to continually "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord" (2 Peter 3:18), so that you can grapple with the implications of genuine Christian experience. Do not be someone who listens to the good news of the gospel being proclaimed and says in their mind, "Oh, I know that. I can tune out now." Do not be someone who considers Sunday morning's sermon sufficient spiritual food to last the week. Do not be someone who splashes in the shallows and never makes the effort to dive down deep into the riches of God's word. Be someone who loves the gospel and who, by God's grace, never grows tired of hearing it; and who loves God's word-loves to drink it in and chew it over, and is stirred by its truth again and again as you become more and more like its great subject, our Lord and Savior.

PSALM 119:33-48

Bible Through The Year: Proverbs 13-15; Titus 2

 PULELULU MA‘ASI 27, 2024

SAVED BY SACRIFICE

FAKAHAOFI ‘I HE FEILAULAU

EXODUS 12:13

"The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt." 

‘EKISOTO 12:13

Pea ko e toto ko e faka‘ilonga ma‘amoutolu ‘i he ngaahi fale ‘oku mou ‘i ai; pea ka u ka mamata ki he toto te u lakai kimoutolu, pea ‘e ‘ikai tō kiate kimoutolu ‘a e tautea ke faka‘auha ‘i he‘eku fai ‘eku tā ‘i he fonua ko ‘Isipite.

What happens in Communion? Why do Christians eat the bread and drink from the cup?

As we seek to answer these questions, not many of us think to look back to Moses. If we stand too close to his story, all we'll have is a truncated view of the bulrushes, burning bush, and plagues. But if we step far enough back, we will see and be able to share the glory of God's big picture.

To set in motion the exodus of His people Israel, God, passing through the land in judg-

ment, sent the last of ten plagues on Egypt, and every firstborn Egyptian was killed. The

Israelite firstborns also would have died, for they were not innocent of sin, and sin leads

to death (Romans 6:23). But God provided a way of escape for them through the Passover. When the Lord saw the blood of a sacrificed lamb on a doorframe, painted up using a hyssop plant (Exodus 12:22), He passed over that household.

In the Old Testament, this passing over was the great act of God's salvation. In and through it, God taught His people a vital principle: God saves by substitution.  He saved these people because animals were sacrificed in their place. As Moses records, that night in Egypt "there was not a house where someone was not dead" (Exodus 12:30). A son had died, or a lamb had died. God's people deserved death for their sins, but because they trusted in the sacrifice of another, as God had commanded and that God had provided, they were delivered. Every year throughout Old Testament history, God's people looked back to this event and remembered that great truth: God saves by substitution.

All those years and all those feasts underline the significance of the moment when, as John the Baptist saw Jesus coming, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). Here was someone who was God's provision to save His people from sin and set His people free, just like the Passover lamb.

Israel's exodus is a foreshadowing of mankind's great exodus: when men or women, deserving God's judgment, trust in the blood that was shed on their behalf on the cross, when they were set free from slavery. they find freedom from sin. Every shackle is broken, just as the Israelites' chains were shed when they were set free from slavery. 

Next time you are thinking about Communion, consider the story of Moses, the burning bush, and the plagues. Then connect the dots and remember that the reason we take Communion is because Jesus is our sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God. He is your substitute. You have no judgment to fear, for it lies behind you, paid and dealt with at the cross. You are on the way to the promised land.

JOHN 19:16b-37

Bible Through The Year: Proverbs 10-12; Titus 10

 TUSITE MA‘ASI 26, 2024

KEEPING OURSELVES IN GOD'S LOVE

TAUHI‘I KITAUTOLU ‘I HE ‘OFA ‘A E ‘OTUA

JUDE 21

Keep yourself in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life." 

SIUTA 21

mo tauhi ai kimoutolu ‘i he ‘ofa ‘a e ‘Otua; ‘o mou nofo‘aki tali ki he meesi ‘a hotau ‘Eiki ko Sīsū Kalaisi, ‘o a‘u ki he mo‘ui ta‘engata.

Even though God is perfectly able to "keep you from stumbling" and cause you to persevere in the faith (Jude 24), He still calls you to play an active role in keeping going in the Christian life - that is, to keep yourself in His love.

Pursuing God's love ought to be a constant in our lives. This is why the Bible has so much to say about it! There is no coasting in the walk of faith; our faith won't be strengthened on its own. What does it look like, then, to keep ourselves in God's love?

First, Scripture teaches us that to preserve our love for God, we must remain in constant hatred of all sin (see Proverbs 8:13; Psalm 97:10; Romans 12:9). Start to play with sin, encourage it, or allow yourself to be excited by it and your love for God will inevitably decay.

Second, we can foster our love for God by delighting in the ordinances He gave the church. Jesus instituted Communion, for instance, as a means of Him meeting with us in a particular way, showing Himself to us that we might know His love and love Him too. It is impossible for us to keep ourselves in a healthy relationship with God while disengaging ourselves from the means of grace that He established.

Third, we need to remember that keeping ourselves in God's love is not only an individual pursuit but also a corporate endeavor. We come to Christ individually, but we do not live in Him solitarily. Like living stones, we are being built up into a spiritual house in order that we might be a holy priesthood of believers (1 Peter 2:5). Cultivating deep and honest friendships with others who love God helps us love God. Relationships are seldom neutral. If we desire to grow in our faith, we must seek the company of godly friends.

Growing in our faith demands action and accountability - but it also requires patience as we wait "for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life." We are meant to pursue a growing relationship with our heavenly Father, turning from sin and enjoying His gifts alongside others who have a new nature and are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, as we eagerly await the redemption of our bodies and the perfect completion of God's purposes (Romans 8:23).

So, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you" (Philippians 2:12-13). We do not work for our salvation, but we do work it out, in all areas of our life. What sin must you fight? In what way must you pursue deep Christian friendship? Keep yourself in the love of God.

1 JOHN 5:12-21

Bible Through The Year: Proverbs 9; 1 Corinthians 16:10-24

 MONITE MA‘ASI 25, 2024

THINKING CHRISTIANLY

KE FAKA-KALISITIANE HO‘O FAKAKAUKAU

PHILIPPIANS 4:8

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." 

FILIPAI 4:8

Ko ‘eku lea faka‘osi, kāinga. ‘Ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku mo‘oni, ‘ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku taau, ‘ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku totonu, ‘ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku ma‘a, ‘ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku faka‘ofo‘ofa, ‘ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku ongoongolelei, ‘io, ka ai ha ‘ulungāanga lelei, pea ka ai ha me‘a ‘oku fakamālō‘ia, ko e ngaahi me‘a ia ke mou tokanga ki ai.

In many ways, we are what we think. Our minds are the root of our actions, and it is through our minds that our affections are stirred. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that we think about the right things and that we learn to think in the right way. In other words, we must learn to think Christianly.

Some people would say that to think Christianly is to have a mind that only contemplates explicitly Christian topics, closing itself to every other notion. But this doesn't fit the description of Christian thinking that we find in Scripture. The Bible teaches that we actually ought to think about everything, but that we need to learn to do so from a biblical perspective (2 Corinthians 10:5). We should consider music, engineering, medicine, art, justice, freedom, and love-the whole gamut of human existence-through the lens of the revealed truths of God's word.

The apostle Paul understood this, so he gave us a list of qualities with which to construct the framework of our thinking. As followers of Christ, Paul said, our thoughts ought to be directed and governed by qualities like truth, honor, justice, and purity.

We are, he says, to think about those things in which there is "any excellence." The word he uses for "excellence" is the Greek word areté, which is the most comprehensive word in the Greek language for "virtue." In other words, Paul gives us the standard against which we can judge our thought patterns on a regular basis. We can look to God's word and ask, "Is what I am choosing to think about, and the way that I am choosing to think about it, in line with moral excellence? Is it in line with God's approval?"

What a challenge this is! This manner of thinking won't happen in a vacuum or with our plenty of effort. If we hope to cultivate it, we must meditate on God's word day and night (Joshua 1:8). As we continually strive to be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2), we will not only glorify God but also be strengthened in our ability to contend for the gospel in our conversations.

So, as you think about your thoughts, here are three questions to ask as you seek to apply this verse in your life:

Is there anything I should think about more?

Is there anything I should think about less, or not at all?

Is there anything I should think about differently?

PSALM 1

Bible Through The Year: Proverbs 8; 1 Corinthians 16:1-9

 SAPATE MA‘ASI 24, 2024

THE FOLLY OF FAVORITISM

KO E KOVI ‘O E ‘OFA FILIFILIMANAKO

GENESIS 37:3-4

"Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him." 

SENESI 37:3-4

3 Pea na‘e ‘ofa lahi ‘a ‘Isileli kia Siosifa ‘i he‘ene fānau kotoa pē, he ko hono foha ia ka kuo motu‘a: pea na‘a ne ngaohi mo‘ona ha kofu pulepule. 4 Pea ‘i he vakai ‘e hono ngaahi tokoua ‘oku pele ‘aki ia ‘e he‘enau tamai ‘iate kinautolu, na‘a nau fehi‘a kiate ia, pea na‘e ‘ikai te nau fa‘a lea ‘ofa ange.

Favoritism in relationships is folly.

We see this throughout the story of God's people in the Old Testament, but it is perhaps writ largest in the life of Joseph, for he was the object of his father Jacob's special interest. Joseph "was the son of [Jacob's] old age" and of his great lifetime love, Rachel. So Jacob, whom God had renamed Israel, loved this son more than the others. From this root of partiality sprang much bad fruit in this family.

Jacob expressed his favoritism through a gift, a "robe of many colors" which he himself

had made. It was clearly a token of favoritism one that Joseph obviously enjoyed wear-

ing. This controversial coat provoked incense hostility from Joseph's brothers. From their hostility sprang malice and murderous intent. They eventually went as far as selling their own brother into slavery and faking his death.

If the gift of a coat could incite such a response, then surely the problem was far greater

than the coat itself. There must have been deep-seated sin behind the scenes. And that's exactly what we find with Joseph's brothers. Their issue was not so much that the coat was very valuable; it was that it set Joseph in a different class from them. In giving him this gift. Jacob had elevated Joseph above his siblings, and this gnawed away at them. The choice of a favorite always necessitates the implicit choice of a non-favorite, which is a trigger for both arrogance and pride in the one chosen as the favorite and for resentment and bitterness in those who are not. You may have seen around you, or even in your own life, the corrosive effects of either being a favorite or being passed over for that status.

Jacob should have known better for he himself had been the object of undue favoritism-his own mother had preferred him over his brother, Esau, and it had led to chaos. His relationship with Esau, like Joseph's with his brothers, was damaged for years.

Let us not be too quick, though, to distance ourselves from the mindset and actions of Jacob or of his sons, as if we could never be guilty of something similar. We must all beware the folly of favoritism in relationships and the fury which so often accompanies it. Partiality is a common and understandable error, but it casts deep, dark, destructive shadows.

Rather than simply shake our heads at Jacob's foolishness, let's learn from it. Every relationship is a unique gift from God. To the degree that we show favoritism to those around us, for whatever reason it might be, we can be assured that it will fracture and devastate relationships. If, however, we cherish each friend, family member, and neighbor with obvious love and affection, we honor God and encourage the hearts of those He has placed around us.

GENESIS 37

Bible Through The Year: Proverbs 6-7; 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

 TOKONAKI MA‘ASI 23, 2024

EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT

KO E NGAAHI ME‘A‘OFA LELEI MO HAOHAOA

JAMES 1:17

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." 

SEMISI 1:17

‘Ilonga ha foaki lelei, pea ‘ilonga ha me‘a‘ofa haohaoa, ko e ‘alu hifo pē ia mei he Tamai  ‘a e ngaahi maama, ‘a ia ‘oku ‘ikai ‘i He‘ene ‘Afio ha feto‘oaki, pe ko ha nenefu tupu ‘i ha‘ane liliu.

Have you ever been shopping for a gift and had no idea what the intended recipient needed or wanted? You didn’t know what size or color of sweater to buy or if the child's toy was age-appropriate, so eventually you just threw your hands up in frustration and said, "I'll just buy something! They'll take it back anyway. Who cares?"

Gift giving is not always as easy or joyful as it should be. The fact of the matter is, even the best of us can't give perfect gifts every time because we are flawed. We lack the insight and the knowledge, and sometimes the resources or even the willingness, to give the right gift. In this we are utterly different than God, for God is the giver of perfect gifts, and only perfect gifts. He is spontaneously good and overflows with generosity. He gives without expecting anything in return, and He doesn't restrict His goodness based on what the recipients deserve. And no gift from Him ever needs to be returned.

Not only is God perfectly generous, but that generosity never changes. Even the best earthly parents need to be approached at the right time and in the right way because they can be inconsistent. Children learn to choose their moments;. As a teen, I found it easy to read my father's body language while he was on hold with the electric company and think, "I'm not sure now is the time to ask for two new tires for my car."

With our heavenly Father, though, we don't need to wonder if it's ok to approach Him. He is neither fickle nor quick to anger. We can be confident that He will always act appropriately. We will never find Him unaware, unable, unavailable, or unwilling. Through Christ, He is accessible and responsive to our hearts' pleas and our daily concerns.

We are children of God, and one of the ways our Father expresses His love for us is in His perfect gifts to us. Therefore, a mark of every one of His children should be gratitude. If we know our Father's character, how can we be anything other than grateful-even when His gifts are not the ones we would have chosen ourselves? So, be careful to count your blessings, daily. Remember that all good things are gifts from Him. Be sure to say to Him:

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee ...

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

PSALM 103

Bible Through The Year: Proverbs 3-5; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28